


Find the Moon

by Sol1056



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Gundam Wing
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Gen, Mid-Canon, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-04-24
Updated: 2004-04-24
Packaged: 2018-12-23 17:09:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 56,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11994246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sol1056/pseuds/Sol1056
Summary: Edward called in his report from the Western town, planning on heading after signs of the Philosopher's Stone just southeast of Central. But Mustang had other ideas, urgent ones. It had only taken two words to make Edward change his mind about arguing, slam the phone down on Mustang, and grab the next train to Duiran, not more than twenty miles from the border of Drachma.





	1. Prologue

The young man stepped back from the bundle of machinery and scratched the back of his head. Glowering, he contemplated kicking the damn thing, then shrugged. It probably wouldn't help, anyway. Getting up from the concrete floor of the garage, he absently brushed off the knees of his jeans and looked around at the notes he'd taped on the wall.

Everything seemed to be in order, but when he'd started up the computers, the ECM wasn't operating properly.

"Stupid doctors," he muttered, stepping back as he compared the notes on the wall to the machine in the middle of the room. It was about knee-height, and looked about as exciting as the internal workings of a lawn mower - something he'd surely never need on L2, but he'd seen a few on Earth. But if he could just get it to work, it could change everything.

He looked up a split second before someone tapped at the door, sensing immediately that he was being watched.

"Brought you a snack," the girl said, a smile on her face as she tossed him an apple. The boy caught it one handed and rubbed it on his shirt, his eyes back on the machine again. The girl sighed and stepped down into the cool dark of the garage, her eyes on the charts around the room.

"Geez, what are you doing down here?"

"Trying to get this stupid thing to work," he replied. He took a bite out of the apple, grimacing a little at the sour sharpness. She always did buy the kind that made him feel like he'd sucked on a lemon. "Figured I should test it, before I put it back in my buddy. Thought you had to meet with that guy."

"Did already." She hopped up on the workbench, her feet kicking as she watched him stare at the machine. "Got the contract, so I've got to start looking for more cushion rings for opposable head transmissions. I think there's a few out back."

"Mm." He took another bite of the apple, his mind already a million miles away.

"What're the pictures?" She twisted on the bench, to see the chart behind her, and studied it closely. From across the room, it had looked like a large squiggly design of some archaic language; up close, she could see the design was simply black arrows pointing from one calculation to another.

"System connection," he answered, not really paying attention. "One for each side."

The girl glanced around the room, and counted. "You've got six."

"Of course." He rolled his eyes. "Top and bottom count, too." He flashed a grin, and took another noisy bite, chomping loudly. Bending down, he set the apple on the ground and poked around in the belly of the machine for a few seconds, then stood up again, apple in hand. "Let's see what that does."

"What what does?" The girl craned her neck to see what he was doing.

"Out of the way, genius at work," he told her, and lifted her off the workbench. There was a small black box sitting on the bench, and he flipped several switches, studying the laptop screen nearby. Leaning over, he hit a few keys on the laptop, hummed to himself, and hit another switch.

The girl got out of the way as light filled the small garage, blue beams emitted from six boxes circling the machine. Meanwhile, the machine had begun making a chugging sound, loud enough to rival three Leos at low power. The young man turned, his braid flying behind him, as he trotted from box to box, checking the levels. He laughed when he saw the girl drop her apple to put her fingers in her ears.

"Hey, it's not that bad!" He shook his head when she stuck her tongue out at him, and hustled past.

"I'll be inside!" She screamed the words, and he just laughed again, and went back to whatever he was doing.

 

 

 

She shut the door behind her and gritted her teeth as the low rumble made the windowpanes shudder. In the little kitchen along one wall of the room, she pushed circuit boards and detonator switches out of the way, shaking her head at having a housemate who was either the most scatterbrained man she'd ever met, or such a genius he couldn't survive without multitasking.

"Cook dinner, cook bombs," she muttered, searching for something that would work as earplugs. "Well, I guess that's somewhat logical." It was probably the reason for the pile sitting next to the bags of instant ramen.

She glanced at the clock, wondering if he'd take a break to watch the news - a nightly tradition for him, keeping up to date with what the rest of his comrades were doing, and tracking the action. It meant listening to him mutter quietly about not having his buddy fixed fast enough, but she'd learned to tune that out.

"Now, if I could just tune out the damn machinery!" She screamed it, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear her, but it made her feel a little better. There was a popping sound from the garage, like a small-caliber gun, and she started, stepping forward before freezing, uncertain.

The rumble continued, and she relaxed, until she realized there was now a second sound, like a rush of air through limited intake engine compartments. The new sound was joined another, a high keening that didn't sound right at all, like metal vibrating at a high frequency, and she jumped forward.

Her hand landed on the doorknob right as everything went silent. The girl shook her head, certain she'd find her friend kicking the machinery one more time. Grinning, she flung the door open.

The room looked the same, and then she realized. The machinery in the center still there, but her friend was gone... and everything was covered in a fine layer of dust.


	2. Chapter 2

"Have I mentioned recently that I hate Mustang?" The young man speaking dumped a plain brown suitcase on the cement at his feet and glowered at nothing in particular. He pulled his hooded red coat tighter around him and hunched his shoulders.

"Brother," came the soft reply, a boy's voice echoing as though lost in the suit of armor lurking behind the first young man. "I think that's―"

"Edward Elric!" A woman came striding across the train platform, heading straight for the imposing suit of armor, which shrank back in a very non-imposing way. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet the Fullmetal―"

"Ah, ah," the suit of armor said, waving his hands. Beside him, the young man was scowling, his white-gloved hands forming fists. The suit of armor put a hand to the back of its helmet, much like a child would, and stepped behind the young man. "I'm Alphonse Elric. My brother's the Fullmetal Alchemist."

The woman blinked, studying the two figures. The young man had blond hair, pulled back in a short braid, and his golden eyes were regarding her balefully, but with some weariness. The suit of armor - Alphonse - was nearly twice Edward's size, and obviously made of metal. She caught sight of the silver chain hanging from the young man's belt, looping down before disappearing into his pocket. Only National Alchemists carried those watches.

"Second Lieutenant Corina Holt," she said, introducing herself formally with a quick salute. "I'm to escort you to the scene."

Edward looked like he was about to say something, then sighed and nodded absently. The woman pursed her lips, then seemed to come to a decision, turning quickly on her heel.

"Come with me, then, and I'll take you straight to the property," she called over her shoulder. The Fullmetal Alchemist might be shorter than her youngest brother, but between his commanding officer's assurances and the boy's own steady stare, it seemed reasonable to guess that he had at least some knowledge of what he was doing.

The three stepped out of the train station, and a blast of sleet hit them with a furious wind, pushing the woman sideways a half step before she caught herself. Waving them to the car, she made sure they'd both climbed in before she moved around to the front and slipped behind the wheel.

 

 

 

Edward leaned back against the seat, watching the freezing rain drive in sheets across the empty roads. The woman handled the car deftly in the treacherous weather, but he'd hoped for at least the chance for a hot shower and some sleep in a bed that didn't consist of a badly padded train bench. Edward stifled a yawn and tried to focus his eyes, and mentally chalked up the arrival as one more reason to punch his commanding officer. Someday, he promised himself, and enjoyed the momentary flash of warmth that always came from the image of wiping that smirk off the Lieutenant Colonel's face. It faded too quickly, and even with the car's heater on full blast, he was soon shivering.

He'd called in his report from the Western town, planning on heading after signs of the Philosopher's Stone just southeast of Central. But Mustang had other ideas, urgent ones, and Edward had reluctantly accepted the orders, knowing if he didn't, Mustang wouldn't hesitate to jerk his chain and turn him in. Edward clenched his jaw, remembering the caramel tones insinuate, yet again, what would happen to Alphonse if anyone found out he was soul-bound, and not just some kid with an obsession for wearing an antique suit of armor. But it had only taken two words to make Edward change his mind about arguing, slam the phone down on Mustang, and grab the next train to Duiran, not more than twenty miles from the border of Drachma.

"Human alchemy," Roy had said. He was probably going to say more, Edward knew. Damn Mustang. He loved to talk, but he loved to threaten more. Edward could recite Mustang's lectures in his sleep; he didn't need to waste his coins when he had a train to catch.

"Magic words," Edward whispered under his breath, and shook his head when Alphonse turned to look at him. "Nothing," he muttered, and wriggled down farther into the seat, wrapping his arms tightly around him. Alphonse watched him for a second, then nodded with a soft clanging sound, and returned his attention to the window.

The car rolled to a stop in front of a large building, and Holt got out, opening the door for Edward as Alphonse got out on the other side. She said nothing, but waved them up to the building, not intending on joining them. Edward hefted the suitcase in his hand, and trotted up the flagstone steps, already soaked to the bone by the time he'd made it to the front door. He was about to bang on the door with his fist when the door opened to reveal a haggard-looking policeman. The man looked right over Edward's head, at Alphonse.

"Edward Elric?" The man's voice was deep, and hoarse with sleep, or something else.

Edward fumed. "I'm right HERE, damn it!" He glared up at the man, and merely grunted when the man stepped back in surprise. Stomping past him, Edward found himself in the front foyer of a house not even half as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside. The lights were dim with dust, and books lay scattered everywhere.

"Ah, you can leave your belongings there," the man said. "Everything is in the basement...and if you need any assistance determining how to pack it to travel, let us know." Despite his bulk, he shifted nervously from foot to foot, waiting until Edward nodded. The man cleared his throat. "There are a few more officers downstairs...with Doctor Kaufkorn."

Before Edward could say more, the man was gone, slamming the front door shut behind him. Edward raised his eyebrows at the door, a bit startled, and set down the suitcase. Pulling off his soaked coat, he draped it over the suitcase and shook out his black jacket. His black jeans were soaked, too, but a quick slap of the hands and the minor alchemical reaction had the water evaporating in a second. Edward dropped his hands from his chest with a grunt of satisfaction.

"Brother?" Alphonse looked at the door, and then back at Edward. "I don't like this."

Edward spared a glance for his younger brother, and started to sigh, then caught himself. Pulling himself to his full height, he smirked and headed down the main hallway towards the door under the stairs. "Whatever it is, it's nothing I can't handle! Come on, let's see what they've got and then..." He paused, catching sight of the living room on his right. Edward's eyes went wide. There were books, stacked on tables, on the floor, piled on the shelves with more squeezed in above them. His fingers itched to investigate, but he was brought back by Alphonse's soft cough, reminding him. Edward made a mental note to review the library, and pulled the door open.

There were lights moving at the bottom, and he trotted down the stairs, curious. At their foot was a short hallway, and through the open door, he stepped into a cavernous workspace. Alphonse came to a halt at his side, and both brothers stared in shock.

The array was painted in lurid colors across the floor, scuffed and beaten by a number of footsteps, but the intricacy was hard to miss. Edward's gaze ran across the patterns, noting the six additional arrays around the room, measuring the symbols and patterns weaving the main array together, circles within circles. He'd seen something similar in Coriswell, a year earlier, in the general shape, but the six additional arrays were a new twist. He moved closer to study one of the arrays on the wall, puzzled. It wasn't a mirror of the main array, but an individual symbol, curved and arching like brushwork, caught in a single border.

Unusual, Edward thought. Now I _definitely_ want to see that library. Who the hell is this guy, to come up with this adaptation?

He stepped closer, then stopped as someone moved in his way. Edward looked up, surprised, and the man gave him a polite, if exhausted, smile.

"Edward Elric," the man said. "I spoke with your commanding officer."

Edward couldn't manage to wipe the frown off his face in time.

The man chuckled. "You can tell him for me that I'd guess you're at least five-three, not four-eleven."

"I'm going to p―" Edward cut off the rest of his wish, with a huge amount of effort. The array on the wall was tinting red from the flush of anger, and it took some effort to realize the man had not actually called him short. Edward's eyes went wide, and he nearly smiled. That was a first. The man didn't actually call him _short_.

"But you're still pretty short for a National Alchemist," the man went on.

"WHO'RE you calling MICROSCOPIC?" Edward exploded, his arms waved wildly as he got in the man's face. "WHO'S so damn SHORT you need a MAGNIFYING GLASS?"

"Ah, let's try again," the man said, backpedaling rapidly. "I'm Officer Hecht. Doctor Kaufkorn was our city's top Alchemist, but kept to himself when he didn't have appointments. Town's had rumors for years about what he was up to, but he's never done anything to give us reason..." Hecht glanced at Alphonse, and back at Edward. "Kaufkorn missed two appointments, and his last customer asked us to come check on him. I don't know if you―"

"Just show us," Edward said, crossing his arms. He looked around the room, seeing only the painted arrays, and nothing else. Where was the man hiding his research lab? This room was obviously set aside for only the actual operations. Edward noticed, then, the wooden door set in the stone wall, just as Hecht turned towards it. Following the officer, Edward could hear Alphonse's armor clanking behind him as they entered the second cellar chamber, only half as large as the first.

The first impression was of a cacophony of noise. Cages flanked the walls, stacked two and three high, with the bottom ones as high as Edward's chest. There was a man kneeling over a body, lying facedown. Near the body was a second one, which looked like an oversized dog...until Edward saw the rudimentary wings curving outwards from the dog's shoulders. Chimera, he thought, a bit darkly. A dark pool of blood spread outwards from both bodies, and Edward frowned.

The man kneeling stood up, then, and scruffed at his blond hair before giving Edward a tired nod in greeting. "Fullmetal," he said, without preamble. "Franz. The doctor was gored to death, probably by this...thing." He nudged the chimera's body with a toe.

Edward nodded, then frowned. "How did the chimera die?"

"Gunshot," Franz said.

There was a clatter of chains from somewhere behind Edward, just barely audible over the howls, barks, and screeching coming from the cages. Edward stopped, stared at the chimera's dead body, and then lifted his gaze to the second officer. "Wait...the chimera was _shot_?"

"I'm guessing a forty-five caliber," the officer said. "One round, straight in the chest. Died on impact. Clean, neat."

"Shot," Edward repeated, confused. He stared at the chimera's body, noticing it was pointing towards him, its legs outstretched as though it'd fallen in the midst of leaping. Slowly, and cautiously, he turned, following the direction of the chimera's sightless gaze, to study the corner to the right of the door he'd just come through. The chains rattled again, and Edward hissed through his teeth. There was something there, moving, and it wasn't in a cage.

"We figure the doctor defended himself, but we can't find a weapon. Far as we're concerned, that makes this the jurisdiction of a National Alchemist," Franz said, raising his voice a bit over the caged chimeras yowling their protests. "Our job's dealing with thieves and drunks...not things like _these_...and we've no idea what to do about _that._ "

Edward nodded, not listening completely, his attention focused on the dark shape that was slowly pushing itself upright. He realized he was holding his breath, not even paying attention as he grabbed one of the lamps and lifted it over his head, moving closer. The circle of light edged towards the back wall, catching two booted feet, then black cloth that resolved into slim legs, up to a black shirt, and higher, to a pale face with large eyes. There was a flash of white at the figure's neck, and the chains rattled again. Edward almost dropped the lamp.

"Human alchemy," he whispered under his breath. It was human...was it a homunculus? Was that even possible? Edward raised the lamp a bit higher, noting the chains keeping the figure close to the wall. It was then he noticed the long braid, draped over the figure's shoulder, hanging down far enough that the tip was against the figure's hip. "A female," he added, stunned. Edward stepped closer, noting the wary expression on the homunculus' face as it watched him approach. Behind Edward, one of the officers chuckled.

"Hell, damn short, ain't it," Franz said.

Edward whirled. "Who the hell are you calling..." His words stuttered to a halt as he saw where the man was pointing. "...short?"

"Brother," Alphonse said, joining Edward, "she's...shorter than you are."

"Ah," was all Edward could manage to say. "She's a girl. Girls are shorter." Alphonse gave him a look, and Edward scowled. Fine, so Winly's not short, but she's a gear head, Edward thought, a bit darkly. She doesn't count. Besides, childhood friends aren't in the same category, anyway. He shoved that complaint out of his head and lowered the lamp to look at the shackles around the figure's wrists.

"We can't get them undone," Franz explained. "There's no lock. It's like they're soldered on. To be honest, with all the other crazy things down here, not sure we wanted to go near it. Especially if it had anything to do with _that_." He jerked his head towards the dead chimera. "Figured we'd leave that to you."

Edward rolled his eyes and handed the lamp to Alphonse. Raising his hands in an open gesture, he studied the figure's lean build, but unable to see too much due to the figure's dark clothing and the way it seemed to be able to blend in with the shadow, even with the light directly on it. The figure's blue eyes watched him, wary, but without fear. Edward remembered Tucker's chimera, and paused, uncertain.

"Hello," he said, very quietly.

The figure frowned, and pursed its lips, then shrugged and gave him a grin. It said something, and Edward was startled at the depth of the voice, almost a baritone. Was it a male, instead? Edward pondered that, and decided 'male' probably fit better. Not like he was one to say a braid made one a girl, anyway. The figure said something else, then, that sounded almost like a complaint, and raised its hands. The chains clattered, then caught, too short for the figure to raise its hands farther than waist-level. Sighing, the figure slid down the wall, almost crumpling, and put its hands to its mouth, saying something else in that strange, liquid language. The words were lilting, but the tone was almost a nasal drawl, with some sounds chopped off unexpectedly. It was like nothing Edward had ever heard before.

"Just hold on," Edward said, about to clap his hands together when he realized the figure was pointing to its mouth again. Edward paused, and glanced over his shoulder. "You said it'd been two or three days since the Doctor met someone for appointments?"

"At least. Why?" Franz shrugged.

"Means this...boy," Edward finally decided that would fit. It was close enough. "...This boy's been without food for that long. Maybe longer. Is there anything to eat, upstairs?"

"Don't know," Hecht said. "I can go look."

"I've done all I can here," Franz said. "We just have to wrap the Doctor's body and remove it. What do you want us to do with the thing's body, or are you going to take that with you, too?"

Take it with me, Edward thought, and grunted at the idiocy of small city police officers. "Burn it," he said over his shoulder, then returned his attention to the figure, still watching him closely.

Edward knelt down, only a foot away, and gave the boy a bright smile. Bringing his hands together sharply, the clap echoed in the basement, and then Edward reached out, grabbing a hold of the shackles. A blue light flared up at the alchemical reaction, and the shackles deconstructed, reconstructing just as quickly into two blocks of iron on the cellar floor. Edward sat back on his haunches, and tried to figure out what to do next. Food, he decided, then realized the boy was speaking rapidly, almost as if in shock.

"Brother," Alphonse whispered, coming close. "We need to get him upstairs, out of here."

The boy stopped whatever he was saying, staring at Alphonse with an open mouth. Catching Edward's scowl, the boy closed his mouth and smirked, pushing himself up the wall with obvious effort. Edward started to reach out a hand to help, but the boy laughed as though Edward's gesture were a joke, not a serious offer. One hand still on the wall to steady himself, the boy stretched out a hand to Alphonse, his gaze traveling up to the helmet, and then back down again. Behind them, Edward could hear the zipping sound of the body bag, then the heavy shuffling feet as the two officers removed the body.

"Hello," Alphonse told him, as politely as he could manage. "I'm Alphonse Elric."

"Hmm," the boy said, or that's what it sounded like, and he cocked his head as his fingers touched the suit of armor's chest. The boy tapped it with his fingertips, gently, then tapped the armor a second time. Edward exchanged a look with Alphonse, who raised a hand to forestall Edward's response. The boy had begun stroking the armor lightly, then dropped his hand, laughing brightly. He said something, at first quick, followed by a final word drawn out in that strange drawl.

"Food?" Alphonse raised his hand to his mouth, then patted his stomach. "Hungry?"

The boy watched for a second, then his eyes brightened and he nodded. Stepping away from the wall, he grinned up at Alphonse, and then at Edward. A split second later, his eyes rolled back in his head and he went down like a sack of potatoes.

Alphonse caught the boy just before he hit the ground. "Brother, he's so skinny," Alphonse murmured, lifting the boy and cradling him gently.

"No food for two, three days," Edward replied. He turned to lead the way out, but Alphonse didn't follow him. Edward turned with a sigh. "What?"

"There's something..." Alphonse shifted in place. "I'm not sure. There's...maybe he _is_ a chimera?"

"What are you talking about?" Edward came around beside Alphonse, who juggled the boy's unconscious figure so Edward could run his hand down the boy's spine. Where the shirt ended and the black pants began, there was a definite lump. Edward chewed on his lower lip for a second, then pulled up the shirt. The move revealed a swath of pale white flesh, and a black shape that Edward definitely recognized. He dropped the shirt in a hurry, uncertain.

"What is it?" Alphonse leaned over, as though he could see past the boy. "Brother?"

"It's a gun," Edward said. "Since when do chimera come with guns? Or know how to use them?"

"Do you think...homunculus?" Alphonse's voice was reverent, but a bit terrified.

"Can't be." Edward shook his head. "That's not possible. No...I think he's a kidnap victim."

"But he has a gun," Alphonse pointed out. "Someone who carries a gun isn't going to be kidnapped. And why would the Doctor let him keep the gun?"

"I don't know, but we're not going to figure it out down here." Edward cast a dark look around the room, at the rows of cages with baying, screeching chimeras. "Besides, this place is giving me a headache."

 

 

 

"There's a hotel about ten minutes from here," Franz said, setting out bowls. The broth was bubbling in the pan. "I can have one of my men drive you."

"No," Edward replied, already preoccupied thanks to the fact that he could see into the living room, piled high with books. "I think I'd rather stay here, and take a look at the Doctor's research materials, before I decide what to do with his...findings." He could see Alphonse arranging the unconscious boy on the sofa.

"There are bedrooms upstairs, I think," Franz told him. "And plenty of food. I think the Doctor had a maid. I'll have Hecht find out who she is and send her by in the morning. She might know where things are, too."

"Good." Edward leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets, and suppressed a yawn.

Franz continued to rifle through the cabinets, finding spoons and napkins, and pointing out more food in the pantry if they got hungry. Edward glanced to the side, noticing Alphonse was building a fire in the front room's fireplace. A few minutes later the broth was ready, and Franz helped Edward carry three bowls into the living room. Franz said a few things Edward only nodded to, and the officer was soon gone with a quick slam of the door. Edward didn't look up, already perusing the titles closet to him.

"Brother, I think we should wake him up," Alphonse said. He was kneeling by the fire, nudging another log on top, and Edward glanced over at the boy. The braid had slithered across the sofa to drape down onto the floor, where it had caught some dust in its tip. Alphonse sat back, his gloved hands resting on his metal knees. "I didn't know hair could grow that long," he said, very quietly.

"It'd take years," Edward replied, only half-thinking. He picked up the second bowl and a spoon. Leaving the side chair by the fire, he knelt down next to the sofa, and set down the bowl and spoon at his side. Reaching out, he shook the boy gently. A second later he was scrambling backwards, away from the gun barrel pressed against his nose.

"Brother!" Alphonse started to get to his feet, but froze when the boy swung the gun to aim at him. "No," Alphonse said, waving his hands in a calming motion. "Please...put that down. If you shoot me, you'll get hurt."

"Al, he doesn't understand," Edward griped, but didn't move when the gun was pointed back at him. The boy's grip on the gun was steady, even as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his other hand. When neither Edward nor Alphonse moved, the boy raised the gun until the barrel was pointing upwards, and glanced down at the bowl by his feet. "That's for you," Edward said, jerking his head in the direction of the bowl. Feeling a bit stupid, he moved away a few feet. He reached for his own bowl, and the spoon, and made a motion of eating.

The boy rolled his eyes, and with a single swift move, the gun was gone, tucked away. Leaning over, the boy raised the bowl to his mouth, ignoring the spoon, and drank the broth straight down. A minute later, he lowered the bowl with a satisfied gasp, then stared at it for a second. His eyes wandered to the third bowl, untouched by Alphonse's side, and Alphonse giggled.

"Want this?" Alphonse pointed to the bowl, and the boy raised his eyebrows, responding with a quiet laugh in that unfamiliar language. Alphonse picked up the bowl, reaching easily across the several feet, and the boy took it.

"Hey!" Edward sat up, scowling. "That was mine."

"He can have it," Alphonse replied amiably. "I'll make more. Besides, you ate lunch."

"But there's no way broth is going to be enough," Edward grumbled. He finished off his own bowl, and headed into the kitchen to scrounge for more. Al's voice trailed behind him.

"Bring whatever you find, because I think he's really hungry," Alphonse called.

"Yeah, yeah," Edward muttered to himself. "He'd just better not eat _everything_. I'm hungry, too." Ten minutes later he'd located every edible item in the pantry, and his arms were piled high as he returned to the living room. Dumping the food out on the carpet, he began sorting through it, only half-listening to Alphonse. It seemed as though his little brother and the strange boy were carrying on a conversation, even if it was one in two different languages.

"...And then my brother became a National Alchemist," Alphonse was saying. He mimed clapping his hands together, and placed them against the floor, raising his hands slowly as he wiggled his fingers. "Alchemists are scientists who follow a three-step process of reaction, destruction, and creation." Al scratched his head when the boy said something, his tone going up on the last note. "Ah, I don't know...maybe there's a way to draw it."

"There's paper and pens in the dining room, in the desk," Edward said, ripping open a package of bread and shoving a roll in his mouth. Seeing the boy look his way, Edward tossed a roll to the boy and waited while Alphonse trundled off to look through the desk.

"Edward," Edward said then, pointing to himself. He pointed to the boy with his eyebrows raised. The boy just chuckled around the roll and repeated the name, but with too many syllables. Edward shook his head. "Edward," he repeated.

"Edward," the boy said, and laughed. He slid down off the sofa, pulling his braid up and staring at the end. With a twist of his lips, he wiped the dust off the braid's tip, and threw his braid over his shoulder, grabbing another roll as he pointed at himself. "Duo."

"Due-oh," Edward said.

The boy shook his head. "Duo," he said again, softer and slower. When Alphonse reentered the room, the boy pointed at Alphonse, and said something that was close to Alphonse, but not quite. Edward corrected him, and the boy paused, considering that, before saying, "Alphonse."

"Al," Alphonse said, then whispered loudly to Edward. "Al is probably easier."

"Al," Duo said. "Al. Edward..."

"Ed," Edward told him, with a sigh. He grabbed another roll.

"Ed," Duo replied. "Al. Ed...Alchemy."

"What?" Edward's eyes went wide. "Where'd you hear that?"

Duo rattled off some response, but clearly understood Edward's question, even if his tone and motions indicated that he wasn't sure what the word meant. Edward caught a few more words that sounded familiar, but in Duo's peculiar accent, it was hard to tell. Beside him, Alphonse was drawing carefully on several sheets of paper. When Duo stopped talking with a shrug, Alphonse pushed the first paper towards him.

"This is me, and this is my brother. Al. Ed. And this is our mother." He pointed to the three figures, two short, one tall. "Brothers," Alphonse added, pointing back and forth between himself and Edward.

"Ah," Duo replied, and his shoulders slumped, just a little. He ran his fingers across the drawing, and Edward was puzzled to see the stranger's face reflect such sadness. Duo glanced up, then, with a small smile, and said something quickly. The fact that they didn't understand seemed to amuse him, and he nodded at the next picture in Alphonse's hands.

"Alchemy," Alphonse said. The drawing showed a person holding two pieces of a broken bowl, then the broken pieces sitting in a circle. The third image showed lines radiating from the circle and the person kneeling by it, and the fourth image showed the person holding the bowl, now in one piece. Alphonse handed it to Duo, who stared the picture suspiciously for several long seconds.

"Alchemy," Duo said, then shook his head, making a skeptical gesture. He dropped the picture, muttering something rapidly, but Edward could hear 'alchemy' repeated several times.

Frustrated, Edward took the picture and ripped it in four pieces, and set them down on the carpet. His eyes fixed on Duo, he clapped his hands together, feeling the shift as he focused his imagination into the reaction. Placing his hands on the paper, he noticed Duo's eyes go wide at the bright flare of blue light. Edward pulled his hands away. The picture was in one piece.

"Alchemy," Edward said, pointing at the picture. He sat back, surprised when Duo only nodded, and turned to Alphonse, a hand out for the next picture.

"Map," Alphonse said.

Edward caught sight of it, and gave Alphonse a surprised look. "You drew him a map? What for?"

"So he'd know where he is," Alphonse replied in a reasonable voice. He leaned forward, pointing at the picture in Duo's hands. "Mountains, desert." His finger stabbed at a picture of three people, two short, one tall. "Ed, Al...Duo."

Duo grinned, and nodded, but the grin faded quickly as he scanned the picture. Setting it down with a sigh, he grabbed another roll and leaned back against the sofa, chewing noisily as he looked around the room. After a second, he pointed at the fire.

"Fire," Alphonse said. "Or...maybe...do you think he means fireplace? Or warm? Heat?"

"You're confusing him," Edward said, his eyes wandering towards the nearest stack of books. Ooh, there was one he'd not seen before. Idly he snagged it, opening it across his lap and bending over it, his eyes scanning the text quickly. Distillation of human spirits, it said, and Edward's eyes went wide. _Definitely_ not a text he'd seen before. The voices in the background faded, with only a few laughs here and there intruding on his concentration.

"What's this?" Alphonse was asking. He said it again, two more times, while pointing.

"What's this," Duo repeated, confused. "Map, fire, fireplace, means, think..."

"No, the question." Alphonse said it slower. "What's this?" He emphasized the rising tone at the end.

"Ah...What's this?" Duo pointed to the sofa.

"Sofa."

"What's this?"

"Carpet."

"What's this?"

"Book."

"Sofa, carpet, book, brothers." Duo nodded, then yawned, a jaw-cracking movement. Throwing his arms over his head, he stretched lazily, like a small cat, and gave Alphonse a sleepy grin as he pointed rapidly. "What's this?"

"Bowl. Spoon. Pen. Boot. Coat. Picture. Frame. Fire. Fireplace."

Duo recited them back at Alphonse, and Edward distantly noted that Duo did so completely out of order, pointing accurately. Edward was a bit startled. If the boy really was a homunculus, then something was really wrong with the old texts. A homunculus was supposed to be like an automaton, no more intelligent than a car, or a desk, until the alchemist had been able to educate it. Edward glanced down at the book in his lap. Unless, of course, the not-so-good Doctor had found a way to distill a spirit into the homunculus...Edward raised his head to watch Duo more closely, the quick movements alternating with lazy shifts, the way the legs were tucked under, the slight curl of Duo's body. Edward pursed his lips. If the doctor had used a cat, in a homunculus...no, that still didn't answer the question of the gun.

Edward set the book aside and reached for another one. He wondered what Mustang would say if Edward showed up in Central with sixteen cases of books, along with all the chimera, and made Mustang pay the shipping costs. Edward groaned, remembering the creatures in the basement. There were Alchemists assigned to continuing Tucker's work, and they'd probably be glad to have some of the creatures brought to them. And Mustang, of course, would be glad of anything Edward could manage that would gain Mustang points. Edward grinned to himself, a little wickedly, because if Mustang gained points, that meant that he'd be in Edward's debt. It didn't happen that often, but it was highly satisfactory when Edward could manage it.

Still doesn't answer what I should do with Duo, Edward thought. He noticed Alphonse had moved on to drawing little pictures, and saying the words out loud, with Duo repeating them. The accent was still there, but Duo's ability at mimicry was amazing, Edward thought.

"Hello," Alphonse was saying. "How do you do?" He pointed to the other figure, his voice changing a little, as though telling a story. "Fine. Thank you."

"Thank you," Duo said. He frowned, and took the bowl, handing it to Alphonse, then taking it back. "Thank you?"

Alphonse paused, and glanced at Edward, who had just grabbed another roll. "You eat all those, you're going to have a stomachache."

"Naw," Edward said around a bite. "I never get upset stomachs. Not me!"

"We need blankets," Alphonse said, changing the topic at Edward's smug expression.

"We need blankets," Duo repeated. "We?"

"All three of us," Alphonse told him, waving his hand in a gesture that encompassed all of them. "I," he added, pointing to himself. "You, him."

"I, you, him, we." Duo grinned, and collapsed backwards against the sofa, shaking his head. "I, you, we..." He switched, suddenly, back to his own language, rattling off a series of quick lilting words, but the tone was frustrated and angry. He broke off suddenly with a deep sigh, and shrugged, scratching his head as he glanced between Alphonse and Edward. "Thank you," he said, looking at Edward directly. Duo rubbed his wrists, and patted his stomach. "Thank you," he repeated.

"You're welcome," Edward told him, a bit embarrassed. "It was nothing."

"It was nothing," Duo said, one eyebrow raised. "It..."

He glanced at Alphonse, who sighed and began trying to figure out a way to explain the gender-neutral concept of things. Edward bent his head back over the book, not even looking up when Alphonse headed upstairs to find blankets, trailed by Duo, still repeating everything Alphonse said.


	3. Chapter 3

Duo lay curled up on the sofa, the blanket thick and warm, the cushions soft under his body for the first time in what seemed like days. He'd seen a bathroom upstairs, while wandering around behind the suit of armor with a boy's voice, but other than using the facilities, he'd balked at taking a bath. He just wasn't sure yet what the blond-haired boy wanted, or what the deal was with the suit of armor. And until then, he wasn't positive he wanted to be naked and covered with hot water if anything happened. It was one thing to have a gun in one's hand, but being naked and dripping wet - even with a gun - tended to undermine one's credibility. He stifled a snort, and continued listening.

"I...book...he...not...think..."

The words filtered in, and Duo settled back, listening carefully. Words were words, and languages couldn't be any more difficult than the first time G had sat him down to learn advanced physics. It was just a matter of figuring out the syntax, and Duo was pretty sure he'd gotten that one already. Unlike his own language, which tended to use a verb-subject-object construction, this new language seemed to be more of a subject-verb-object format.

"You...not...means...brother..."

Without knowing the content, it was a little harder, but really no harder than chemistry or programming, Duo decided. Knowing the syntax meant he could reasonably expect that a new thought was begun with a pronoun or noun, and he had a whole bunch of those dancing in his head, after Al's lengthy recitation of nearly every object in pointing distance, down to sheets, faucets, socks, and doorknobs. Pronouns were simple enough, although Duo wondered whether the third-person form had a female version. He'd have to find a way to ask Al, since Ed seemed to be more interested in the books around them than in speaking at length with Duo.

"...page...not...you..."

He wasn't sleepy, not after a day, maybe two, maybe more, of sitting in the darkness once the lights had sputtered out. The creatures in their cages had fallen silent, rousing him only once footsteps were heard outside the door. And while having a full stomach was pleasant, it didn't make him feel groggy, but restless. There was nothing to be done about it, though, Duo thought, a little philosophically. He needed to get back - he _had_ to get back - but it was just like flying between colonies. Space, for the most part, looked the same, if you lost sight of the earth. If you didn't know where you were, you couldn't figure out how to get where you wanted to go. That meant, Duo knew, that until he figured out where _here_ was, there was little chance he'd be able to come up with a means to get back to _there_. He grimaced. Assuming, of course, there was a way _back_ to there.

"I am not...call...he...talk..."

Duo sighed, and opened his eyes to slits, seeing the two figures silhouetted by the firelight. The shorter of the two was sprawled on his stomach, flipping through pages of one book, with another resting in his left hand. The right hand came up, tugging at the braid, and Duo caught a flash of metal.

"Brother...I don't...but the...in..."

Odd, Duo thought, and opened his eyes wider, trying to see. The boy had been wearing white gloves, he recalled, but now they were gone, as the boy bent to scribbling something on a note with his left hand. Ed sat up, stretching lazily, and spread his legs out in front of him, twisting sideways to grab another book with his right hand.

"Al, look...this page...he isn't...no, he's...I think..."

 _There_ , Duo noted. The right hand was not flesh, but jointed metal, like a Gundam's fingers. The suit of armor, meanwhile, was turned away from Duo, hunched over, paging slowly through another book. The thump of Duo's fingers against the metal, earlier, had told him immediately that the armor was hollow; he hadn't spent all that time around machinery without being able to recognize the sound of a machine lacking its engine. That didn't answer the question of how the suit of armor was speaking without a person in there, but given the other strange things, Duo was in no shape to spare energy worrying about it. As long as the suit of armor didn't suddenly become one of those nightmarish creatures in the basement, or sprout wings and a beam cannon, Duo wasn't going to worry about it. Al seemed to be a good person - if such a word applied - and Duo was willing to trust his instincts that told him Al was sincere.

"Do you...all of...books...talk...him..."

Duo sniffed, and his nose wrinkled at the smell coming off him. Perhaps in this world, being stinky was acceptable, and that's why Ed hadn't said anything, or even reacted. I'm only willing to adapt so far and _no further_ , Duo told himself, and slowly eased out from under the blanket. The two figures by the fireplace didn't turn around, and Duo grinned. Carefully he undid his boots, setting them by the sofa as a sign of his good-faith return. He'd noted most of the creaking floorboards while investigating with Al, and he was relatively confident he could be upstairs and in the bath before they noted the water running. Given what he'd seen of Ed, however, Duo was distantly certain that Edward probably wouldn't even note the water running, at that.

Hell, Duo thought, the boy might not even notice if the house fell down around his head, if it happened while his nose was in a book. It made Duo smile, remembering the complaints Hilde had lobbed at Duo when he was in working mode.

"No, not going...Mustang...he wanted..."

A few quick steps, and Duo was out of the living room, padding his way up the stairs on socked feet. His clothes were filthy, too, but perhaps those he could wash in the shower, and maybe they'd be dry by morning. The voices trailed up the stairs behind him, and he listened with half an ear, absently registering that more and more of it was making sense, but still not enough to determine what the two brothers were discussing.

"Brother, if we...ask him...what..."

 

 

 

The tub filled quickly, the water steaming hot. Duo didn't wait until the tub was full before he shucked off his clothes, tucking his gun under the shirt, but just within reach. Sliding into the water, he leaned back, sighing happily as the water continued to pour onto his ankles and fill up around him.

Fuckin' heaven, he thought.

Sitting up, he struggled with his braid for several minutes, undoing it as he studied the row of bottles against the tub's edge. Picking one at random, he sniffed it carefully before determining it was soap of some kind. Shrugging, he lathered it into his hair, working it all the way down to the ends with a pleased smile. The water sloshed as he slid down until he was submerged, lazily rinsing the soap from his hair. It was hardly an efficient way to do it - a turn of phrase that made him think of Heero, and he grinned - but it would do, for the time being. Pushing his hair over his shoulder, Duo began soaping up his body, paying extra attention to his stomach and between his toes, just because scrubbing those parts always felt so good.

The water was a light brown color when he was done, and he stood up, grabbing a large towel. Tucking it in around his waist, he shivered in the cool air and dumped his clothes in the water, leaving the gun by his knee where he could reach it. He wasn't keen on having his back to the door, and he was careful to wash his clothes with as little turbulence as possible, scrubbing quickly before rinsing, his ears trained for any sounds.

He'd finished with his shirt and was halfway done cleaning his jeans when he heard the creak of a floorboard outside the door. Instinctively Duo spun, his hands on his gun without even thinking. The door banged open, and Edward was standing there, one arm raised as though he'd just punched the door open. Duo kept the gun level, waiting. He was annoyed to discover that even with a towel, feeling half-naked wasn't much of an improvement over being naked when it came to being taken seriously. Meanwhile, Edward had slowly lowered his hand, taking in Duo's wet hair, and the shirt hanging over the towel bar.

"I didn't...you...to wash," Edward said, with a few other words Duo couldn't catch.

Duo snorted, and set the gun down. He stood up, bringing his wet jeans with him, and began wringing them out. He didn't turn completely away from Edward. He kept his back to the wall where he could see Edward in the mirror's reflection over the sink, and still have the jeans pouring soapy brown water into the tub.

"Hell, yeah," Duo retorted. "Look, you can stink if you want to, but I like water. It's kind of a luxury." He looked up to see Edward's puzzled frown, and sighed. "I..." Damn, now the words are gone, he thought. Okay, let's see. "I want to wash, I want tub...I..." He made a face.

"Wanted to be clean," Edward supplied, quietly.

"Yeah," Duo said. He shook out the jeans and turned around, tucking them over the towel bar next to the shirt. "Maybe I should put these by the fireplace," he muttered, half to himself.

Edward seemed to be thinking the same thing. One hand reached out for the shirt, and Duo caught the words, "You...fire...warm...the shirt and pants will dry..."

Duo nodded, with a grin, and looked down to see the hand holding the shirt was fully metal. Surprised, he followed the jointed fingers up to the elbow, wires visible in the interior bend, and up to the shoulder. There were several caps, sliding across each other to duplicate the ball-and-cup shoulder joint. A bolt in the main shoulder piece looked like it was attached to Edward's collarbone, and Duo winced, seeing the scars on Edward's chest, under the plate where metal kissed skin. The edges of the scars disappeared under the black tank top, and Duo looked up to see Edward staring in return. Duo frowned, confused.

"What's this," Edward said, softly, a hint of a smile at the edge of his lips as he realized Duo was staring at his arm. Edward pointed with his left hand, at Duo's chest.

"Knife," Duo said, remembering the correct word in time. He shrugged, pointing to another scar, a round pucker just under his collarbone. "Gun. Knife, knife, knife..." He paused, not sure. "Wood," he finally said, not sure what the phrase was for baseball bat. Doubt they even have baseball, he thought, and figured 'wood' was close enough. Duo studied the few scars around the metal prosthesis, and realized that Edward's other arm, also exposed by the black tank top, was free of scars, and lightly golden. Duo glanced at his own chest, and sighed. It was the pale white of the colony born, and covered with a fine crossing of scars, stretching back years. If Edward wanted to know the story behind each, they'd be here all night. He realized Edward was regarding him with a confused, and somewhat sad, expression.

Duo shook his head, and pulled his hair around to his chest, trying to untangle it with his fingers. "I don't...What's..." Damn it, Duo thought. I need them to talk more. Right now, my vocabulary consists only of household items and twenty different ways to say book.

"Brush," Edward said. He turned, rooting around in the drawers under the sink, and pulled a brush out, reviewing it carefully before shaking his head at it. Setting it back down, Edward beckoned. "Come on, we'll sit...and...you...brush." He turned, looking Duo up and down with an assessing glance. He added more, but the only word Duo caught was "clothes," in a firm tone.

"Sure thing, Ed, whatever you say," Duo muttered, taking his jeans, boxers, and socks down from the towel bar. He grabbed his gun at the last minute, tucking it in into the bundle in his arms, and followed Edward down to the living room.

 

 

 

It took Duo about an hour to carefully brush out all the tangles in his hair, starting from the bottom and working with intent, careful gestures. Edward had flipped open a suitcase, digging through it and pulling out a second pair of black jeans and another black tank top. Duo had been tempted to roll his eyes, seeing his own trait of finding one style and sticking with it. What really aggravated him, though, was pulling on his boxers, once they were dry, and then pulling on Edward's jeans. First, they were a bit larger in the waist, but not too bad. The problem was they were easily two inches too long, necessitating Duo rolling up the cuffs. He'd looked up to see Edward's nose in another book, but the boy had looked suspiciously smug.

Bastard, Duo thought, and went back to separating his hair, braiding it quickly and efficiently as Alphonse watched, fascinated. Duo held up the briad, waiting until Al gave him the word for it, and nodded, tossing it over his shoulder. Sliding off the sofa, he set the brush in the suitcase and picked up one of the books. It took only a single glance for him to sigh and set the book down. None of the characters looked even remotely familiar, and he wasn't going to tackle reading when just speaking and listening was hard enough.

"Do you know...of the words...?" Edward's eyebrows were raised, his glance darting from the book to Duo's face.

"No," Duo said, a bit annoyed. "No words..." He frowned, running through the words in his head. "Nonsense," he said, finally.

"The words don't make sense," Alphonse translated. Duo nodded, repeated the phrase under his breath, and smiled. "Duo," Al said, then, the armor clanking as he shifted, if a suit of armor could look nervous. "Brother and I thought, if you don't mind, we want..." He made a little shrugging motion with his hands, and pointed towards the kitchen. "The basement," he said.

Oh, right. Duo nodded, and stood up. Edward closed the book with a snap, and set it on a pile by the suitcase that was quickly growing to mountainous size. Duo eyed the pile a bit apprehensively, stepping around it on bare feet, as Alphonse stood up, letting Edward lead the way. Duo took a breath, feeling the gun at the base of his spine, and wishing he had it in his hand. His knives were tucked into his boots back by the sofa, so he only had one knife at each hip, slipped into the jeans. Duo pulled his braid around, patting it protectively, feeling the protuberances of the lock picks, and smiled at his own peculiar ritual. What amazed him was that neither Al nor Ed seemed to catch any of the sleight of hand as he returned everything to its proper hiding place; in fact, he doubted they'd paid much attention at all. It was strange, Duo thought, watching Al's metallic body thump down the stairs ahead of him, to be in a place where people could be so at ease as to not be attuned to everything a stranger did.

Duo's thoughts scattered the minute he stepped into the basement. Edward lit several of the lamps, and they guttered and sparked before catching. Duo watched, then took a deep breath as he stepped out into the middle of the room, turning in a circle as he stared at the walls.

"Do you remember?" Edward's voice was gentle, and his expression was troubled as he stared at one of the symbols on the walls.

"I was working," Duo replied, searching carefully for the right words. "Blue light. It was good, but...I woke up, and saw that." He pointed at the ceiling. "I was," and he mimed something hitting him in the back of the head. Edward frowned, but nodded, and Alphonse supplied the word. Duo shrugged. "Hit. Right. When I woke up, I was..." Duo scratched the back of his head, and turned again, looking at the room. "No, not here."

"In there," Alphonse said, pointing to a door.

"I guess," Duo replied. "I don't know. I don't remember. But this," he stopped, staring at one of the symbols. Something about it seemed curiously familiar. He chewed his lower lip for a second, then turned to Edward with a hand outstretched. "Pen? To write?"

Edward raised an eyebrow, but dug around in his back pocket, producing a stick of chalk. Duo regarded it for a second, surprised, and Alphonse told him the word. Duo nodded, and turned back to the symbol. It took only a few minutes, but soon he had marked up the entire diagram for the left-side of the ECM unit. The swishes of the original symbol were identical to the arrows he'd drawn, indicating the connections between the unit's sensors.

"It's the same," Duo breathed, no longer sure which language he was speaking, too busy stumbling backwards as he stared. Spinning, he headed for another symbol, marking it up in the same way. Again, it fit. "Shit," he whispered. A third symbol was marked up, and Duo rubbed his forehead, letting his face rest against the palm of his hand before he tossed the chalk to Edward. "My work," he said, pointing. "I work with..." He frowned, and stepped over to tap on Alphonse's armor. "This."

"Armor?" Edward frowned.

"Yes, no..." Duo suspected, from Edward's expression, that the word wasn't the right one. Annoyed, he pointed at Edward's arm, instead. "That. Not-you. I work. That's my work."

"Auto-mail?" Edward's voice went up a note. "Metal?"

"I think he means machines, brother," Alphonse said quietly.

"Machines," Duo repeated, nodding emphatically, and threw a thankful grin to Alphonse. The suit of armor might be a mystery, but it seemed to understand what Duo meant, despite the language barrier. It reminded Duo a little of Quatre, and he shoved the homesickness away. "Machines. I work with...these are pictures. They help me, I see, I work." He pointed to the symbols he'd altered. "My machines, here," he said, moving to the center of the circle. "There, there, there," he spun in a circle, pointing at the arrays on the walls. "Drawings. When my machine go, I see blue light. Blue light comes there, there, there," he turned again, pointing. "Good, but...not right. Then, I'm here."

Edward's eyes were huge in shock, and he said a few things at rapid speed that Duo couldn't catch. Edward shook his head at Al's response, and said something else, but Duo could only catch 'alchemy' and a few pronouns.

"Hey!" Duo finally shouted, his hands on his hips. "I'm right here. Talk to me."

"There's nothing to say," Edward retorted, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'll figure it out. As soon as I can. I promise."

"Promise," Duo repeated, weighing the context carefully before deciding the new word meant what he suspected. "Okay," he said. "What do we do?"

"Do?" Al shook his head. "We study and read, now."

"All night," Duo responded, kicking angrily at the floor. "You study, you read. I watched! I want...no, I _need_ to go―" He broke off, frustrated. He just didn't have enough words, yet.

"Home," Al said, quietly. Edward snorted and turned away, heading for the wooden door set in the wall. Alphonse sighed. "I'm sorry. Don't mind my brother. He's..." Al waved one hand, vaguely, as he searched for a simple way to put it. "Brother wants to help, but first we need to know how it happened."

Duo groaned, waving Al away as the suit of armor turned and headed through the doorway, after his brother.

I know how it happened, Duo thought, frustrated, and kicked at the floor's symbol again. I deconstructed my buddy, ripping out his innards and setting up the system surrounded by lasers. I connected the relay of lasers in a circle, aimed at the ECM, and was attempting to calibrate the ECM so the lasers would no longer bounce, but would be absorbed. It's the only way to successfully manage a stealth attack in space, by being on the same wavelength as the radar systems, since avoiding enemy radar isn't possible. But how the hell am I going to rebuild the ECM in a world where they're using fireplaces to heat homes, and don't even have showerheads in their bathrooms? He hadn't seen a single vidscreen anywhere, and the pens the brothers used were ink, not ballpoint. Where was he going to find the technology for the circuit boards he'd need? Did they even _have_ silicon plates in this world?

Hell, Duo thought, leaning against the wall, and crossing his arms. I'm stuck, I'm stuck, I'm stuck. He kicked the wall once more, wincing as his bare foot slammed up against the stones, and scowled. Hilde's going to kill me, he thought, but the wry comment didn't even make him grin. Instead, he sighed, wishing there were some way to let her know he was okay.

It seemed like a long time before Edward reappeared, a handful of papers in one hand, but it was probably no more than five minutes. Edward jerked his head at Duo, and pounded up the stairs, Alphonse a few seconds behind him. Duo huffed and followed, noting as they reached the top of the stairs that early morning light was beginning to seep in through the windows. It dawned on him that Edward and Alphonse hadn't slept all night, either, and he wondered how they'd managed. In the living room, Edward was flipping open several more books, comparing them to the notes in his hand, and muttering under his breath.

"And Hilde says I'm bad," Duo complained, mostly to himself. He ignored Al's glance, and headed to the sofa, throwing himself down with a groan. The gun was hard against his spine, and he wriggled, pulling the gun out and sliding it under the sofa pillow. Pulling the blanket over him, he flipped onto his side. Those brothers could stay up all night and all day, but Duo was going to get some more sleep. He'd need all the sleep he could get, if he was going to be up to building advanced space technology from scratch in a world that hadn't progressed past the combustion engine.

 

 

 

Duo woke up when the afternoon sun hit his face, and he rolled over to see Edward stretched out on the carpet by the fireplace. The boy's braid was draped across his shoulder, the end trailing down to be hidden under a blanket. There was a pillow under Edward's slack face, although Duo could see several books peeking out from under the pillow. Edward was sleeping on his side, his human arm thrown over his face. One bare foot stuck out from under the blanket, and Duo sat up, seeing the foot was also metal.

Damn, Duo thought. Their cars are rudimentary, but they have the ability to create kinetically capable artificial limbs? The priorities seemed somewhat out of whack to Duo, but he paused, considering it. We have mobile suits, and Gundams, magnificent creatures of war, he thought, but we can't do much more than slap a piece of plastic on a person if they lose a leg. He'd seen enough war victims on L2; he knew that anyone in his own world, in Edward's place, would be walking around with one arm and one-half of a set of crutches. Suddenly, the notion of a lifetime of war seemed even lonelier. Duo wondered what his world might have done with its knowledge and resources, if constant war weren't a threat.

He sat up, trying to be quiet and not wake Edward. Alphonse was nowhere to be seen, and Duo tiptoed to the fireplace, testing his clothes before shucking off Edward's clothes and pulling his own back on. Pulling on his socks, he laced up his boots and slipped his knives back into their various holsters, feeling a bit more like himself.

Clean, refreshed, and now, he decided, I just need food. Alphonse entered the living room at that point, carrying two large bowls of soup, and Duo grinned.

"You read my thinking," he said, cheerfully, accepting the bowl and spoon.

"You read my thoughts," Alphonse corrected, with a soft giggle. He set the bowl down next to Edward's nose, and the blond boy sniffed sleepily, opening one eye.

"Food," Edward muttered. He lowered his hand, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm, and sat up, pushing the blanket off him. "Thanks, Al."

"Brother," Al said, settling down by the fire to add more wood. "You really should call the Lieutenant Colonel. We should let him know."

Duo paused, looking back and forth between the two brothers. Alphonse's tone was hesitant, and Edward's shoulders were hunched. Ed growled at his soup. Duo raised his eyebrows, curious, but neither brother seemed to notice his reaction, so he waited.

"I don't want to," Edward grumbled. He spooned some spoon into his mouth, slurping noisily, and scowled. "He's going to spend at least half the conversation taunting me for not finding anything, and then he's going to remind me of all the other times I didn't find anything, and then he's just going to be smug about it. Bastard."

Duo repeated the words in his head, comparing Edward's tone and expressions to the words. It was clear, despite the gaps in his comprehension, that some of the words would be pretty useful. Spend, conversation, taunting, remind, find...bastard. Duo grinned around his spoon, almost positive he knew what the last word was. He'd used that tone to refer to G, often enough.

Edward finished off his soup quickly. Standing, he stretched noisily before stomping off towards the kitchen, his bare foot making a light thump, while his metal foot clattered. Duo finished his own bowl, and waved Alphonse back down, following Ed to the kitchen. He could hear Edward's light tenor speaking quickly into the phone, and Duo attempted to look nonchalant as he took Ed's bowl from the countertop and rinsed both in the kitchen sink. He set them upside down on the counter to dry, just like Hilde was always telling him to do. Duo leaned a hip against the cabinet, watching Edward.

The boy's face was amazingly expressive. First he stood up straight, murmuring agreement, but slowly his shoulders drooped as he continued to listen. "Ah, well," he said, then, his face screwed up in a parody of innocence, but he scowled suddenly, his shoulders hunched as he glared at some distant point. "Sir," he said, then, but nothing followed, his mouth in a round 'o' as his right hand clenched into a fist. Finally, after a long pause, he nodded, then cleared his throat. "Yes, sir, I wanted to...ah, yes, well..." He frowned, and exploded, pulling the phone away from his face to yell at it. "Is there ANYTHING we do that you don't already KNOW? What's the POINT!" Edward put the phone back to his ear, and flinched at the response. He was quiet, then grunted and shoved his free hand in his pocket as he kicked at the floor. "Yes, sir," he muttered. "Right. Right. Yes, sir." He hung up the phone and sighed, then turned to Duo with a smug grin.

"Mustang doesn't know everything," he announced, and shrugged at Duo's baffled look. Edward preened. "He's got no idea about you. So we're okay for..." He added a few words that Duo didn't get. Edward caught Duo's response, and was quiet for a minute, before opening the cabinets and pulling out glasses. Duo watched, baffled, as Edward set them all on the countertop, arranging them into a line.

"More alchemy?" Duo hopped up on the table, swinging his legs.

"No," Edward replied. "Something important. You need to know this."

"Ah," Duo said, grinning. "There's...things I need to know." He waved his hand. "There's...a, and a, and a..."

"Hunh?" Edward looked up from the glasses, his face a picture of concentration before he brightened, his eyes flashing. "Lots! You mean lots."

"Right. Lots I need to know." Duo laughed, and nodded at the glasses.

"One...two...three..." Edward continued down the line, pointing at each, as Duo repeated the numbers under his breath. "Nine...ten." He broadened his arms to include all ten glasses. "Ten, and two...twenty."

"And three?"

"Thirty."

Duo nodded. "Forty, five-ty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, ten-ty."

"Fifty. Not ten-ty, one hundred." Edward leaned against the cabinet, looking smug. "You're fast."

"Fast. That a good thing?"

"Yeah. Anyway, this means we have twenty-four hours before we have to deal with Mustang." Edward's smile turned a bit sharp. "It's worth trying, at least," he muttered, and turned to put the glasses away. Duo hopped down from the table and helped, and soon the kitchen was neat again. Duo chuckled, and Edward gave him a curious look.

"At...there," Duo said, frowning as the word slipped away, "my...Hilde...says I never do things."

"Oh." Edward's look turned sly. "Girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend," Duo repeated, his eyes narrowing, and then he shook his head, backing up. "No, no. Hilde's not a girlfriend. She's also a works-with-machines. She...drives," he said, figuring that was close enough.

"Drives?" Edward looked dubious. "Drives what?"

"It's nothing," Duo said, feeling a stab of worry in his chest. Hilde had to be frantic by now, and there was nothing he could do about it. "She's important, but not girlfriend-important. She's...military-important."

Edward blinked, then nodded slowly. "You're soldiers."

"Ah," Duo said, registering the word and the context. He put a hand to the back of his head, abashed. There was no way he could explain it, and he was beginning to suspect he shouldn't. Was it something Edward needed to know? Or was it...Duo stopped, sighing, and dropped his hand. "It's nothing," he mumbled, and left the kitchen.

In the living room, Alphonse was straightening up, setting the books in stacks. The suit of armor looked up at Duo's cheery wave, and stood up. "Did brother call him?"

Duo shrugged, letting Edward do the talking as he entered, and instead sat on the sofa, staring at his hands. He could feel Edward throwing him curious glances, but Duo wasn't willing to look up. Why do I need to get back? He was a little hurt that he'd even think that, but he knew the answer already. I have a reason for fighting, and that reason isn't in this world. There are people I want to make happy, and those people aren't here. He glanced up, watching Edward's animated expression as he chattered on, relaying the phone conversation while Alphonse looked about as worried as a suit of armor could manage. It was an astonishing amount, once Duo stopped thinking of it as a hulk of metal and just watched the body language.

Edward has someone to protect, Duo thought. But...he's just a kid. He's paid, I can tell that much, and he'll pay more, if my history's any sign. Duo couldn't help but groan quietly at that thought, and stood up as Edward made noises like he was going to leave the house. I wouldn't wish my track record on anyone, Duo wished silently.

"...Have to talk to Holt," Edward was saying. He pulled on a red coat, and stepped back into the living room as he struggled into the cape-like garment. Duo noticed a strange insignia on the back, and waited. Edward glanced his way. "You, stay here with Alphonse, and I should be back soon."

"No," Duo was startled to hear himself say. "I want to see more. I can't read, to help study, and I'm not doing help with those things in the basement." He shuddered. "I'm..."

"Bored," Alphonse whispered. Duo grinned up at him.

"Yeah. I'm going."

"You don't have a coat," Edward pointed out. "It's freezing out there."

Duo crossed his arms. "You're an alchemist," he replied, in a reasonable tone. "Make me one."

Edward gaped.

"He's got you there, Brother," Al said, amused.

Duo allowed his smug smile to get a little bigger, as Edward growled for a second, then nodded, giving in. Edward disappeared into the hall closet, digging around before he returned with a coat. Throwing it to Duo, who put it on, Edward regarded the material carefully before nodding to himself. His grin was suddenly razor-sharp, and he clapped his hands together then placed them on Duo's chest. The blue light shot outwards as the alchemical reaction took place, and Duo laughed, feeling the energy rush across his body. When Edward pulled his hands away, Duo was wearing a black coat just the right size for him, but now it was long enough to reach Duo's ankles.

"Cool," Duo said.

"Cool?" Edward pursed his lips, and grinned. "Cool," he repeated. "Come on, we'll need to hurry. Al?"

"I'll come, too." Alphonse set down the stack of notes, while Duo busied himself tucking his braid under the coat. "Don't give him too much trouble," Alphonse whispered to Duo, who grinned in a conspiratorial fashion. Al made a worried gesture, but Duo just grinned. Together, they took off after Edward, who was already out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

The sleet had stopped, but the wind had picked up, catching the edges of Edward's coat and whipping them around him like a cloak. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and slouched comfortably, his eyes on the city streets as they headed for the military station. The operator had given him the address before transferring him to Mustang's office, and Edward was reasonably sure they were heading in the right direction. He canted a sideways look at the boy next to him, who was regarding everything with a somewhat amused expression. Duo caught him looking, and one eyebrow quirked.

"Nothing," Edward said. "I just figured you'd be more..." He shrugged. "Y'know, excited, or think it's bizarre."

"Bizarre." Duo repeated the word, and shook his head. "No. We have houses, buildings, cars, too. But ours..." He leaned back, looking up at the cloudless sky, a gunmetal gray of late winter. "Different," he finally said, and smiled, a bit secretively. "Why do you do alchemy?"

"Why?" Edward was startled, then set his shoulders, grinning broadly. "Because I'm damn good at it, that's why."

Duo laughed. Obviously he got the meaning, if not the words. "You don't draw a circle," he said, in an undertone as they passed several heavily wrapped people on the street.

"Brother doesn't need to," Alphonse interjected. "I do, though. Most alchemists need an array, to focus."

"Not me," Edward said, only mildly smug. "I always used to, then...I got to a point where I don't. Just a knack."

"Ah." Duo muttered something under his breath, in his own language, and tucked his chin into the collar of his coat, hiding a smile. "You're...not lots, to be doing this. Looking at not-are people, knowing things in the basement." His eyes were bright, and Edward noticed for the first time just how darkly blue they were.

"Not lots?" Edward scowled. "Like you're one to―"

"I think he means your age, brother," Alphonse said quickly. "Duo, how old are you? How many years?"

"More old than him," Duo said, pointing a thumb at Edward. "Five and ten."

" _I'm_ fifteen," Edward retorted. "You can't be fifteen. You don't look like it."

"So? You don't _act_ like it," Duo shot back. The two boys turned on the sidewalk to face each other. Edward was glaring, while Duo smirked.

In the silence, Alphonse made a worried sound.

Duo backed down first, his smirk turning lazy as he shrugged and walked off. It seemed to take Edward a second to realize his target was gone, and he sputtered before yelling at Duo's back.

"Hey! Hey, wait up!" Edward scowled and jogged to catch up. Alphonse clanked along behind him, radiating worry, but Duo was grinning as Edward caught up with him. Edward stared, confused. "You're young, yourself, to..." He was thinking of the scars crisscrossing the other boy's chest, and he could feel his face flushing. That seemed too intensely private to mention it on the street. He settled for muttering, "to have a gun."

"I fight," Duo said, unperturbed. He glanced down at Edward's right hand, the metal covered by the white glove again. "You walk, you talk, like you fight, too."

"I do," Edward said. He looked up, then, and noticed the street sign. "That's the military office for this town. Duo, you want to get something to eat?" Duo's grin was brilliantly huge, and he rolled his eyes, as though surprised Edward had to ask. Edward dug out his wallet, and handed it to Alphonse. "Shouldn't be more than fifteen minutes," he said. "Too much paperwork, shipping damn chimeras."

"Write, write," Duo said, waving him off. The boy grabbed Alphonse's arm, and the suit of armor could only squeak something and wave to his older brother before following the black-garbed figure into the nearest sweet shop.

 

 

 

Forty-five minutes later, Edward was still hunched over a desk, filling out paperwork. Alphonse and Duo had made an appearance, and determined quickly that Edward was in a foul mood, and nowhere near finishing. Duo dropped a bag of sweet pastries on the desk and was gone in a swirl of black wool with Alphonse clanking behind him. Edward rubbed his forehead and bent over the paperwork, carefully filling out the third form the officer had apparently forgotten would be needed.

Destination. Central City, 3rd Laboratory, Floor Five.

Signing officer.

Edward carefully wrote out, "Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang." He chewed the end of the pen, wondering if he should put down Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, instead. He couldn't remember what he'd written on the other form, before the nameless military official had suddenly remembered all forms needed to be in triplicate. Edward bent over the paper again, sighing, and continued with the next line.

Transportation Schedule.

"To me, it looks like they want you here for long time," someone whispered in his ear.

Edward jumped, turning to see Duo staring at the paperwork. The boy pointed at the form's identifying letter and number, stamped in large print on the top-right of the page.

"That," Duo said, very quietly. "That page was complete, when we came by, before." He glanced around, noting the crumpled paper bag on the corner of the desk. "You ate?"

"Yeah," Edward replied. He twirled the pen in his left hand and slouched down in the chair, giving the paperwork an annoyed glance. "I have to do three copies. The Sergeant-Major forgot."

"Forgot," Duo repeated, in a knowing tone. He leaned over Edward, and pushed at the paper with a finger, then shook his head. "People who work, who do work like this...they don't _forget_."

"What's your point?" Edward nearly growled. He turned his back on Duo, carefully beginning the next line.

Shipping requirements. Four large crates, covered; nine medium...

"Ed," Duo whispered. "Ask yourself. _Why_ do the military person want you here?"

"Hunh?" Edward looked over his shoulder, startled by Duo's intent expression. He stared, then his eyes went wide, and he looked down at the paper, then back at Duo. "You mean they're stalling me."

Duo nodded, his face completely serious.

"Why would they..." Edward glanced around at the empty main office. "Where's Alphonse?"

"I told him to go to the house while I get you," Duo said. "Come on."

"Damn." Edward threw the pen down on the desk He shoved the papers into the receptionist's inbox and ran for the door, yanking it open. Duo slipped out the door right behind him. Edward took off down the street, cursing under his breath. "Why would someone want me to hang out there for an hour? We didn't find anything in the house that's of any importance to anyone else," he muttered under his breath. He realized Duo was easily keeping pace with his quick run. "Well? What do you think?"

"I think," Duo paused as they skidded around a corner, "you forget that the things in the basement―"

"―Chimera," Edward correctly absently.

"Chimera," Duo repeated. "I think you forget that they're guns."

"Guns?" Edward tripped on a curb and nearly went flying forward, stunned by Duo's words. Duo caught Ed's coat at the last second, and Edward scrambled to get his feet under him and keep running. His mind was reeling, trying to decipher Duo's meaning. "Weapons," he said suddenly. "You mean they're weapons."

"Guns, weapons, those...chimera," Duo said. "They made the man not-be―"

"The chimera killed the doctor, yeah." Edward looked up to see the doctor's imposing gray-stone house at the end of the block. "Where's Alphonse?"

"Inside?" Duo shook his head, then suddenly broke away. "You go in the front, I go in back."

He angled away from Edward and headed for the fence blocking the alleyway. Duo leaped, his hands grabbing the top of the fence, easily two feet over his head. He flew upwards, twisting his body agilely over the fence. Edward heard the soft thud as Duo hit the other side, then running footsteps, and Edward took off for the doctor's house. Hitting the steps of the house at a full run, he registered the door was ajar even as he burst through, clapping his hands together.

A burst of light around his arm, and his right glove was shredded. His auto-mail arm now had a six-inch blade proud of his wrist, shielding his right fist. Cautiously Edward checked the living room, to find everything where it had been left, undisturbed. Creeping through the dining room, he was about to head into the kitchen when a creak from above had him flying into the entryway, his hand raised in defense. Duo was at the head of the stairs, his gun out. Duo made a slashing motion with his left hand, followed by several quick signs. Edward gave him a baffled look, and Duo rolled his eyes. In a flash, Duo hopped on the banister, sliding down it to land on cat-soft feet next to Edward.

"Basement," Duo hissed. "You, go down. I, go there," he whispered, pointing.

"How the hell are you going to get into the basement if you're not taking the stairs?" Edward gave him an irritated look, noticing for the first time that the door under the stairs was wide open. Duo just grinned, his back to the wall before he spun, his gun out. Edward watched, fascinated, as Duo covered the kitchen, his eyes darting around the room before he was gone again.

I guess that makes me the frontal assault, Edward thought, and grinned malevolently. Nothing wrong with that scenario, he decided.

He was at the bottom of the stairs when he heard a crashing sound, followed by a gunshot. Edward launched himself across the array and kicked the wooden door open. Immediately he leaped sideways, blocking as a chimera came through the door. Its canine body twisted and it jumped at him, fangs bared. Edward slashed at its chest with his right hand, the blade cutting deep. A second chimera was behind the first, and Edward dodged as he pulled his fist from the first chimera's chest. Edward kicked the second chimera in the chest, throwing it backwards into the small room. A second gunshot blasted the air. The chimera yelped and fell sideways into the doorjamb.

Edward stared at the blood seeping onto the stone floor for a second, feeling ill. Stepping around the corner, he saw Alphonse against the wall, three dog-bird creatures at his feet. Duo was on the top cage, halfway through a small ventilation window, his gun trained on the door. When Duo saw it was Edward, he wriggled the rest of the way through the tiny window, balancing carefully on the cage. Edward clapped his hands, and the blade melded back into his auto-mail. He prodded the dead chimera with a foot.

"What the hell happened," he muttered, and looked over to see Alphonse kneeling by one of the chimera. "Al? What is it?"

"All gone," Duo said from the top cage. He was peering down into the cage, then flipped his coat back, tucking the gun away. He jumped to the floor, and looked around, bewildered. "Not all gone."

"They didn't take all of them," Alphonse said. "They left seven, I think, and when I came down to the basement, and opened the door..." He stood up, one hand behind his head, abashed. "I think two got out."

"I didn't see any sign of them coming down the stairs," Edward said, frowning.

"None on top floor," Duo replied.

"But the front door was open," Edward added. Alphonse looked stricken, the armor hunching a little. "It was only open an inch," Edward assured him.

"Back door was...bad alchemy," Duo said, thoughtfully. "Step one."

Edward blinked. "Hunh?"

"Broken," Alphonse translated. Duo nodded absently, and looked around with a sigh. Alphonse hunched his broad metal shoulders. "The Lieutenant Colonel isn't going to be happy about this."

"Oh, no," Edward groaned, suddenly, realizing. "Eighteen chimera, trained to attack, and we've only got five. We need to let the military―" He noticed Duo standing by a small table at the end of the row of cages. "Hey," Edward said, interrupting himself. "What are you doing?"

"Looking," Duo replied. He knelt down, poking at the desk, feeling along it with his fingertips. "When I woke, the man was writing. Did you find pages here?"

"Not much," Alphonse said. "Just notes about the feeding schedule."

Duo nodded, then put a hand behind his head, and pulled his braid out. He pulled it around, and the braid pooled on the floor next to him as he pushed his fingers into the woven strands. There was a metallic flash in Duo's hands, shining in the light through the window. He leaned closer to the underside of the desk, and something clicked, then popped. A drawer slid out, and Duo sat back on his haunches with a wide grin.

"See," he said, pointing.

"Shit," Edward breathed. He was at the desk in a flash, digging through the papers. "Letters, Al." He sorted through them quickly, handing several to Alphonse as Duo stood up, brushing the dirt off his knees. Edward scanned the first letter quickly, his jaw dropping. "You were right, Duo," he said, very quietly. "These _are_ weapons. They're trying to start another war."

"Brother," Alphonse said, his tone uncertain. "Are you sure? There's no return addresses on these, and no signatures. Nothing to say who sent them. They're all just lists of the kind of chimera, and what they should be able to do."

"War," Duo whispered, questioning. "Lots of fights...war?"

"Right," Alphonse replied. "There was a war here, about fourteen years ago, and it was horrible. But it's been peaceful since then. Duiren's on the border, but I guess peace doesn't always last. I heard the fighting was really bad up here, for a long time."

Edward nodded absently, stepping blindly over the chimera's bodies as he led the way out of the storage room, still reading. In the darkened antechamber, Edward sighed and shoved the letters into the inside pocket of his coat. "Either Doctor Kaufkorn was going to use the chimeras on Drachma, or someone in Drachma hired him to let the animals loose, here. Either way, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

"You think too...forward," Duo whispered. His hand went out, catching Edward by the elbow. "Shh," he said, and pointed upwards.

"What..." Edward cocked his head, listening, and realized there were footsteps moving around in the front part of the house. There was a shout, and the light from the top of the basement stairs was suddenly gone as someone stepped in the doorway.

"Fullmetal," the man's voice shouted. "Sergeant Major Nichols up here, sir. Fullmetal, are you down there?"

"Yeah, yeah," Edward replied, stomping up the stairs. "Five dead chimera down there," he told the man. He blinked, and peered past Edward, but Ed didn't bother to explain further, stepping into the hallway. He was surprised to see six more officers lurking in the front foyer, none going into the living room or upstairs. He turned as Alphonse and Duo stepped through the doorway, and noted the Sergeant Major gave Duo an appraising look that the boy didn't seem to notice. "The rest are gone," Edward said, curtly.

"Gone?" Nichols frowned. "We came to arrange for their shipment, and heard gunshots."

"Ah," Edward replied, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation, but Alphonse beat him to it.

"Those were alchemical reactions, Sergeant Major Nichols," Alphonse said, politely. "When we opened the basement door, the chimeras were loose inside, but my brother dealt with them. That was the sound you heard."

"Really," Nichols said, looking impressed. "I had no idea alchemy could be so noisy."

"If you do it right," Edward replied, smirking a little. He straightened his shoulders, and dropped into a serious mode. "However, by my count, this means there are thirteen more chimera unaccounted for. The cages are empty, and the back door is smashed, probably where the other two chimera got out." And how did the people who took the chimera get in, he wondered. How did they know there were chimeras in the basement in the first place? The rest of the town had no idea that Doctor Kaufkorn did anything but simple alchemy repair work.

"We'll alert the town police," Nichols said, nodding to one of the other men. The man saluted, and left with two others, while Nichols tucked his gun away. "I'd suggest you stay at the officer barracks tonight. I can set up a room for you...three?"

"Three, yes." Edward tensed. "Right," he replied, preoccupied. "We'll just collect the rest of what we need from here."

"I'll leave someone with a car," Nichols offered. "Samuels," he called, and one of the men stepped forward.

"No, no," Edward told him, waving one hand. "We don't have that much. We'll just walk. It's across from the military offices, right?"

"Yes, sir," Nichols said, then hesitated. "But I'd prefer to insist the Lance Corporal stays here with you. You're in my jurisdiction, and having someone take the chimeras and leave several to attack you...I'd prefer there not be a repeat."

Edward considered that for a second, then shrugged. "Fine," he said, then glared at the Lance Corporal. "But stay out of our way while we work."

"Yes, sir!" Samuels snapped a salute, his white-blond hair waving a little from the overeager motion.

"Whatever," Edward said, turning his back on the man.

There were a few quiet whispers behind him, and then the front door closed behind Nichols, most likely, but Edward's attention was already focused on the books. Idly he began stacking the ones he wanted to investigate further, setting others aside. Edward hadn't even started tackling the question of how to get Duo back, or how Duo had even gotten here. Mustang's sources had assumed the Doctor was attempting some type of alchemy revolving around creating or transforming a human. Edward, in turn, had been assuming that somehow it had occurred at the right exact moment when Duo was mirroring the action in his own world.

The thought made Edward nearly drop the book in his hand, and he took a deep breath to steady himself. Was this just a one-time thing, or was it possible that all such major arrays crossed into other worlds? Was there a world, somewhere, that held Alphonse's body, without the soul? The idea made Edward sway a bit, and he blinked, shaking his head. No, no. The array they'd created, on that fateful night they'd attempted to revive their mother...no, that array wasn't like this one. The Doctor's array had elements and curves that weren't normally used for human alchemy, but for transformation of existing material, not life-binding or life-manipulating. The doctor's array wouldn't even work properly for chimera.

So why was the doctor using it? If his work was in chimera, there had to be a reason he'd deviate from his normal mode. Edward sat down cross-legged, barely noticing that Alphonse was building up the fire again. Duo had settled into the sofa, and his eyes seemed to be closed. Edward glanced over, and saw the gleam of Duo's eyes in the late afternoon light, and realized Duo was watching the Lance Corporal intently.

Damn, Edward thought. What was Duo telling me? I think too forward, he repeated silently. Edward scratched the end of his nose, forgetting the books for a few minutes as he pondered the information whirling in his head. Think too forward...think too straightforwardly? Edward scowled, hunching his shoulders as he absently stacked a few more books on his 'keep' pile. It was the sight of a spoon, left by the pile of blankets, which gave Edward the idea. Standing, he stretched lazily and rotated his right arm, feeling the metal joints slide against each other. Glancing over his shoulder, he grinned at Duo.

"Hungry?"

Duo chuckled and stood up. "I think we ate everything in the house."

"Really," Edward replied, as if this was news to him. The Lance Corporal stepped into the room, his mouth open to speak, but Edward waved him away. "No, we'll just go grab something. I think I saw a deli a block or two from here. Alphonse, we'll pick you up something?"

"Mm," Alphonse said, looking up from the book in his lap. Edward winked, and Alphonse nodded, turning his attention back to the book.

A minute later Duo and Edward were out on the sidewalk. Duo shoved his hands in his pockets, mirroring Edward's slouching gait, and the two were silent until they reached the corner.

"If I wanted to start up war again," Edward mused, in a low voice, "I would blame it on someone else."

Duo nodded. "You think too short, though."

"Too short?" Edward glared, tensing. "You're not exactly ten feet tall, y'know, you're in no position to be making cracks―"

"Shut up, Ed, and listen." Duo shook his head. "People do not fight for the sake of fighting, no matter what nonsense others might say." His lip curled at the edge, a sardonic expression. "There are reasons. And going into a fight, people want something. Get something."

"The Law of Conservation," Edward said.

"The what?"

"Conservation." Edward was silent, his footsteps slowing as they neared the deli. The wind caught at his coat, tearing it open, and he shivered a little. "To get something, you give something. Equal value. Give one, get one."

"I understand," Duo said. "Yes, that's war. Give lives, to get something."

Edward flinched, but turned his head away, avoiding Duo's puzzled glance. "Yeah, well, it shouldn't be."

"It is." Duo rubbed his nose, and looked up at the deli's sign. "Food, then we talk more."

"Yeah."

 

 

 

Back on the street, Edward shifted the bag in his arms, and stopped to face Duo.

"What do you know about losing lives? Death?"

"Lots." Duo's eyes slid away from Edward's. "Too much."

"Have you...ever killed anyone?"

Duo laughed, a barking sound. His grin was lazy, but his eyes were cold. "Why do you need to know?"

Edward considered that, and nodded. "I guess it's not important."

"Not here, it isn't," Duo agreed. "There is no reason to start war if there's nothing to get. These things...chimera...are weapons. The person who wants them, who has them now, is trying to get something. It's not enough to say war will start if people die. I don't know what someone would get from people dying, though. But there must be something."

Edward wondered if Duo, in his own language, was a quick and rapid speaker. He seemed too frustrated, sometimes, at the lack of speed for communicating, although his words came faster and more fluent than Edward could ever imagine speaking, were their positions reversed. It annoyed Edward, a little, to think this kid was better than him, in anything. He wasn't sure why, so he set his attention back on Duo's words, turning them over in his mind.

"Who runs this place?" Duo's glance was sharp, and he rattled off several words under his breath. Some were in his own language, some in Edward's, as though Duo were sorting through the combined vocabulary to find something that would fit. "Place. All people, I mean. Military?"

"The country? Yeah, military." Edward shrugged. "The Generalissimo's in charge."

"Do you pick him?"

"Pick... No, he was promoted."

"Ah." Duo nodded. "So this small place, here now, is also military in charge."

"Yeah, it's like that everywhere. What about it?" Edward gritted his teeth. So what if this kid didn't know how much people hated the military. What did that have to do with this Doctor, and his chimera? One of the only people Edward had met, who didn't hate him immediately for being a dog of the military, and it was someone not even from this world. Edward was surprised to find he didn't want to lose that. He was even more surprised to find how much he'd gotten used to assuming that was what people were thinking, and just ignoring the assumption.

"If the people are hurt," Duo said, softly, "the military will need more soldiers, to defend."

Edward's head came up sharply, and he narrowed his gaze at the boy in front of him. "That's ridiculous," Edward retorted. "That would require unleashing the chimera on the people who are supposed to be protected by the military."

"But it's also a way to get power, to prove there's a threat." Duo shrugged, and began walking again. "I see it...I was seeing it. Force the unhappiness, and claim the people's unhappiness is reason to bring in the military. Then the person in charge is more important."

"Martial law?" Edward frowned. "This place is peaceful, though. They've been this way since the war ended."

"What does a soldier do, when he has nothing left to fight?" Duo's voice was pensive, and his gaze was distant.

"Something else, I guess."

"Will you?"

Edward stopped, and turned to face Duo again. "What do you mean?"

"Don't put on a face for me," Duo said, with a cold smile. "You can't fool someone who plays the same game. You did something, that made that your brother, and that..." He jerked his head towards Edward's right arm. "And this," Duo added, prodding Edward's left foot with his own. "And now you are trying to get something, for what you gave."

"How did you know?" Edward backed up a step.

"I've lost, lots, and now I'm also trying to get something." Duo's gaze was steady, with no trace of humor. "When there is peace, I will be happy. I will walk away from the fight. The fight is not me. But you..." His eyes narrowed. "You _are_ the fight."

"I may answer to the military," Edward replied, a bit stiffly, "but that doesn't mean I want to fight their wars. If they order me, I'll have to go, but in the meantime, it's the only―"

"Stop confusing yourself," Duo said. He stared at Edward for a long moment, and smiled, a worn, tired look in his eyes. Then he sighed, and turned, striding off down the street, his braid swaying behind him, whipping out as he turned and headed up the steps to the house.

Edward scowled, feeling like he was constantly running to keep up. For once, he decided, he wasn't going to. "Hey!" Edward stayed where he was, and yelled again when the boy didn't turn around. "HEY!"

There was silence on the early evening street. Duo reappeared between the gates, his expression wry. "What?"

"Why can't you just get to the point? You're as bad as Mustang," Edward griped. "Saying one thing, meaning something else."

"I don't..." Duo concentrated, then shook his head. "I don't tell you what isn't. I say what is. But..." He brightened, a quicksilver grin flashing across his face. "I see you, I think of someone." He shrugged. "Your fight is here. My fight is somewhere else. I want to get back. Just get me back, and you can fight as long as you want."

"Yeah," Edward replied, uncertain if it was a truce, or just a statement of fact. Duo nodded, turning to head for the house, and Edward watched him go, uneasy. "And you make me think of a _really_ short Mustang," he muttered under his breath.

Shaking his head, he headed up to the house. The Lance Corporal opened the door, and Edward dug into the bag, shoving a sandwich at the man without a word. Duo was seated next to the fireplace, with one sandwich out, balanced on his knee, and a second one halfway into his mouth. Edward frowned, and sat down next to Alphonse. Ed toed off his boots, tucking one leg under him, and pulled the nearest book close enough to flip it open and read while he ate. The room was quiet for several minutes but for the turning of pages, the sounds of three people eating, and the crackling of the fireplace. Then Edward heard a soft chuckle, and looked up to see Duo's eyes dancing merrily over the top of the second sandwich.

Edward raised an eyebrow, ready to transmute the sandwich into a gag.

Duo said something soft, and quick, in his own language. Alphonse looked up, and Duo said it again, but this time he pointed at himself, and patted his stomach. Then he pointed at Edward and grinned broadly before taking another huge bite of the second sandwich. Edward gave Duo a baffled look, and turned to Alphonse.

"Did that make any sense to you?"

"Ah," Alphonse said, a little embarrassed. "I think he was saying if he and someone else had a baby, it'd be you, brother." The suit of armor clanked as it shifted in place, and Alphonse made a calming motion with his hands, forestalling Edward's annoyed response. Alphonse laughed nervously. "I guess this Heero must be his girlfriend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And somewhere in another universe, Heero Yuy sneezed.


	5. Chapter 5

"Fullmetal, sir," the Lance Corporal announced, and cleared his throat. Duo crumpled up the paper from his sandwiches and tossed them into the fireplace. The Lance Corporal was hovering in the doorway to the living room. "If you're done with dinner, we should be getting to the officer's barracks now."

Edward stood up, stretching, and set the last book on the pile. Duo shifted on the sofa, noting that the pile of books had grown to fifteen or sixteen volumes, with another number of books stacked by the wall in Edward's pile of second-choice books. Duo sighed and scrunched down in the sofa, getting a bad feeling about things. He watched the Lance Corporal discuss the situation with Edward, their voices low and fast. Duo could get most of Edward's speech, but the Lance Corporal's was thick with an accent making it hard to figure out his words.

Duo grabbed his coat and stood up, shoving his arms into the sleeves and brushing past Edward. Nudging the other boy slightly, Duo just smirked over his shoulder and moved past the Lance Corporal, who didn't even notice the change of the weight in his pockets. The man was too busy saying something about books and cars to Edward, and Edward seemed to be too busy glaring at the man to notice Duo bumping him.

Out on the step, Duo looked up at the cloudy sky, watching the clouds scud across the crescent moon. He jingled the car keys in his pocket, grinned to himself, and leaned against the doorframe, waiting. Edward came out a minute later, his suitcase in his hand, and a terrible glower on his face. Alphonse was subdued, and the Lance Corporal looked somewhat smug, but the expression was gone the instant he noticed Duo looking his way.

In silence, the four made their way to the car, Edward getting into the front seat while Alphonse and Duo climbed into the back. Several minutes passed, and Duo slouched down, leaning his head against the window. The Lance Corporal was taking too long, Duo thought, and considered getting out of the car, but that would instantly identify him as the culprit. Instead he clamped down on his urge to laugh, and waited.

"Lance Corporal?" Edward's voice was annoyed. "Is there something you're waiting for? Because if this is going to be awhile, I've got work I could be doing."

The man muttered something, and patted a few more of his pockets. "Keys," he finally said, frowning at nothing in particular. "I can't find the keys."

"Walk," Duo suggested. Edward twisted in the front seat, and Duo winked at him.

"No," Edward said, and got out of the car. "We'll just wait inside while you find them, Lance Corporal."

"Maybe I dropped them..." Samuels got out of the car, looking around on the ground.

Duo got out of the car as well, and sidled up to Edward, who had crossed his arms while he watched the Lance Corporal walk back and forth from the house to the car. Surreptitiously, Duo jingled the keys in his pocket, and Edward's eyes went wide. He glanced down at Duo's coat pocket. The question was all over Edward's face.

"Books," Duo mouthed. "Get the books."

He couldn't say why, but he knew there was information in those books that Edward wanted. The chimeras were gone, with at least two running around the town. As far as Duo was concerned, anyone who wanted the chimeras probably wouldn't want the information on making them to be in the hands of someone like Edward. Duo hoped Edward didn't press him for a reason why, since Duo didn't think his limited vocabulary could stretch that far. Fortunately, Edward didn't insist, but simply shot a final irritated glance at Duo, and shrugged.

"Lance Corporal," he called, beckoning to Alphonse. "It's cold out here. We're going to wait inside. Are you sure you even got the keys?"

"Oh," Samuels said, standing up. "I'm pretty sure I did."

"Well, check the house, and if they're not on the floor, just walk down and get them. We'll wait here, if you're insistent on driving."

"I am," Samuels replied. He led the way back to the house, lighting the lamps and sweeping the glow of light across the floor in the entryway before sighing melodramatically. "Fine. You three, stay here. I'm going to get the keys. Don't open that door for anyone. Those two chimeras are dangerous."

"Right," Edward drawled. When the door closed behind the Lance Corporal, Edward snickered. "Like chimeras will knock."

"That man isn't very..." Duo searched for the word, and finally tapped the side of his head.

"Smart," Alphonse suggested. Duo pointed at the suit of armor, and grinned.

"Back door is broken," Duo reminded them. "Chimera come and go if they want." He stepped forward and rapped on Alphonse's chest. "Put books in you?"

"Wait," Edward interrupted, startled. "How did you know?"

"Because I am smart," Duo said sarcastically. "Metal, nothing. Sounds different from something inside. Lots different." He rolled his eyes to emphasize the obviousness of the statement. "Open up, Al."

Alphonse giggled a little, and clanked into the living room. There he unbuckled the chest plate, and Edward began shoveling the books into Alphonse's empty cavity. Duo handed Edward the books, and soon the stack was gone, packed away. Edward buckled the straps back on, and Alphonse giggled again, listening to the books shift and settle as he moved.

Duo thumped affectionately on the suit's chest piece. "Now," he said, "I leave these to find." He held up the keys.

"How did you get those?" Alphonse's voice was astonished.

"Same way as this," Duo replied, and brought out his other hand, revealing Edward's National Alchemists' pocket watch. It had a strange design carved into the front, and the burnished silver shone dully in the moonlight through the windows. Edward blinked, then felt at his hip. The chain was gone, and he gave Duo a shocked look. "Not going to keep it," Duo said. "Just showing." He dropped the watch into Edward's outstretched, shaking hand, and grinned smugly as he strolled to the front door. At the last minute, he turned, tossing the keys to Edward. "Just say to him, you found the keys," Duo instructed.

"Brother," Alphonse whispered, but still loudly enough for Duo's sharp hearing to pick up. "How'd he get that off you?"

"I don't know." Edward snarled. "Bastard. I'm going to kick―"

"―He didn't know, brother," Alphonse said, stepping quickly in the way. Duo looked over from his position by the front door.

"Know what?" Duo stepped back into the room, puzzled. Edward's teeth were bared, and he was shaking, the watch still in his hand. Duo's eyebrows went up. "I was..." He frowned, searching for the word. "Having..." He shrugged, and made his expression suitably apologetic.

"Duo," Alphonse said. "That's my brother's pocket watch. It's what all National Alchemists carry. Taking it...well, it's important. You shouldn't have taken it."

"Of course," Duo replied, relieved at the feeling of annoyance. It was the best cover for the sudden realization that if he had truly pissed off Edward, the chances of going back had just dropped down to less than zero. Duo sighed, and hung his head. "I didn't know it was important. I was just..." He shrugged again, frustrated, and kicked with one foot at the carpet.

"Playing," Alphonse said, his tone almost a question. Duo got the meaning, though, and nodded. Alphonse sighed, and turned to Edward, his large gloved hands out, palms up.

"Don't touch it again," Edward said, latching the chain back onto his belt loop and dropping the watch into his pocket. "Did you open it?"

"Open it?" Duo was startled, but covered it quickly. "Naw, didn't bother."

Edward blinked, and his lips quirked, just the barest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. After a second, he grinned outright. "You just like trouble," he said, stepping forward to stare Duo down, nose-to-nose.

"I have to. It follows me everywhere," Duo replied, and grinned right back.

 

 

 

The Lance Corporal burst into the house a minute later, breaking up the show down. He was out of breath and looking worried. "The spares are locked up, but I didn't want to leave you kids alone for too long. I should've just called from here," he said, half to himself. "I'm going to call headquarters and―"

Edward looked bored, and held out the keys. "We found them," he said.

"Oh." Samuels stared at the keys for a minute, then shook his head. "Okay, let's get you to the barracks." He led the way back to the car. Duo gave Alphonse a quick grin as the suit of armor huddled nervously at the end of the line, his arms clutching his chest as if to stop the books from shifting. Once in the car, the Lance Corporal started up the engine, and it complained a little before pulling away from the curb.

"Your brother's a big guy," he muttered to Edward, who just raised an eyebrow and smirked.

They stopped at the first intersection, and Duo turned to stare out the window, feeling at odds the farther they moved from the house. That circle in the basement was the way he'd come into this world, and at least when he was in the house, he'd felt like they were close to where he'd need to be to leave. Going somewhere else to stay seemed like he was letting himself step more into this world, and it didn't feel right. His fingers itched, tightening as though around the controls of his Gundam, and he sighed, then started. Something had flashed past the car, on the sidewalk.

"Ed," he said, "out there."

Edward turned his head in time to see the thing slip down an alleyway. "Chimera," he exclaimed, and threw the car door open. "Al, stay here with Duo and Samuels," he shouted, then saw Duo climbing out of the car, too. "Duo, I said―"

"I'm coming," Duo retorted, reaching for his gun as the two ran from the car towards the alley. Behind them, the Lance Corporal was shouting from the car, but they ignored him.

"No gun," Edward told Duo, and clapped his hands. The blade slid out from his right hand. The light from the alchemical reaction lit up the alleyway, revealing a low-slung yellowish hyena-like creature turning the corner at the end. "If they know you have a gun, they'll arrest you."

"More martial law," Duo muttered, and pulled his knives from under his shirt, instead. Damn, it really was like being back on the colonies, right down to being illegal to defend one's self. His knives flashed in the moonlight as they skidded around the corner, and Duo heard the low growl of the chimera up ahead, cornered.

"Stay back," Edward said. "I'm going in first."

Show-off, Duo thought, but he hung back, twisting his body to stand sideways, one eye behind them as Edward moved closer to the chimera. The dog-like creature turned, baring its fangs as it leaped. Edward blocked then shifted, his blade going deep into the chimera's chest. The creature yelped, the cry fading as it slid from Edward's fist. Duo put his knives away, leaning over the body.

"These are bizarre things," he said. "What are they?"

"A chimera is two things, put together, to make one thing," Edward said, sounding like he was struggling to figure out a way to say it simply. He opened his mouth to say more, but Duo nodded, understanding. "This one's probably a dog and some type of a bird." He nudged the rudimentary wings, and the talons on the creature's feet.

"Like a hoe...mun...cue...liss," Duo mused, sounding out the complex sounds. He was surprised when Edward turned, his eyes narrowed.

"Where did you hear that word?"

"You," Duo said, putting a hand to the back of his head as he thought, scratching under his braid. "And the man...in the basement. When I woke, he was saying that, a lot, and then would write more. He wasn't happy."

"He wasn't..." Edward's eyebrows went up. "You mean, he didn't expect you." At Duo's puzzled look, Edward frowned. "The doctor was doing something else. His array shouldn't have created a homunculus. I'll figure it out, but I need more time to go over his notes and break the code."

"Break the code," Duo repeated, following Ed back down the alleyway. Duo stopped suddenly, hearing a scuffling sound, and put his hand on Edward's coat. The boy's footsteps were too loud. Edward halted, and Duo cocked his head, listening. Either there were city dogs out scrounging, or it was another chimera.

A gun fired, ahead of them. Duo took off, pounding towards the mouth of the alley.

"Hey," Edward cried, then swore under his breath as he ran to catch up.

Duo burst out of the alley in time to see Alphonse fighting off three of the creatures. The Lance Corporal was out of the car as well, his gun in one hand. Duo's knives were out instantly, and he came around the car in time to see one chimera swallow the Lance Corporal's gun, then his entire arm. Duo threw the knife, and the chimera yelped, pulling away from Samuels. The man fell to his knees with a scream, holding onto his bloody arm. Alphonse blocked a chimera's attack and turned to protect Samuels. Another chimera jumped Alphonse. The suit of armor fell back against the car but sent the chimera flying. A third chimera went straight for Samuel's throat, as the wounded chimera attacked Duo.

There was a flash of light, and Edward was in the midst of the fray. He sliced through the chimera about to leap at Alphonse, and kicked off the chimera attacking Samuels. Duo stabbed the chimera attacking him, shoving it away and slashing its throat. Several quick blocks and parries later, all the chimeras were dead. Alphonse pushed away from the car, and moved to kneel down next to Samuels.

"He's dead, brother," Alphonse said, very quietly. He glanced at Duo, and saw the blood on Duo's chest, face, and hands. "Duo! Are you..."

"I'm okay," Duo said, wiping his knives off on his jeans before putting them away. "It's the thing's blood, not mine." Duo knelt down next to Samuels, and felt for his pulse. After a second, he shook his head, closing the man's eyes before he stood up. "No," he said, shortly, and Edward nodded, his eyes wide.

Duo sighed, and reached out, steadying Edward. "I'm...I don't know the word. But I am it, whatever it is."

"Sorry," Alphonse whispered, but mostly to Samuels. "He was just doing his job," Alphonse added, his voice sounding more like a little boy's than it had before. Duo put a hand on Alphonse's shoulder, pulling at him. "Al," Duo said, "Go over there. I'll...Let me," he said. Alphonse nodded slowly, and got to his feet, going to stand on the other side of the car. Edward was still staring at the body, looking like he'd been punched in the stomach without warning.

"Ed," Duo called, and stepped between Edward and the body. "Don't look."

"How can you just..." Edward frowned. "How can you..." He turned away abruptly.

"This is what I do," Duo retorted, suddenly angry. "I don't get to choose. I fight, and I kill. I'm sorry if that's not what you expected. I told you, I wear faces, too. Just because I look happy doesn't mean I..." Duo laughed sharply, but the bitterness faded quickly. "Ed, don't..." He stopped, not sure how to say: don't get used to this. I don't want to see you getting used to this. Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to study the body. "We should put him in the car. I'll drive us―"

"You can drive?" Alphonse looked over from the other side of the car, the armor clanking as he shifted in place.

"Can't be that hard," Duo muttered, and put a hand on Edward's shoulder. When the other boy didn't shake him off, Duo guided Edward around the car to the other side. Duo stared at the body, deciding he'd put in the front seat, so the two brothers didn't have to sit next to it. Sighing, he leaned down to grab the body's arm, pulling it upright in preparation for hoisting it over his shoulder.

Harsh lights and the sounds of several car engines screaming into the intersection made him freeze. Duo instinctively dropped the body and spun, putting his back against the car as he tried to see past the blinding headlights. Someone was shouting. Edward appeared quickly, putting himself between Duo and the cars.

"Chimera," Edward was saying, then rattled off a number of words too quickly for Duo to grasp. Ed pointed in the direction of the alley, and Duo could hear Alphonse explaining as well. Duo swallowed hard and tried to nod at appropriate moments, when he could catch a familiar word in the midst of Edward's crisp flurry.

"Fullmetal," a woman's voice interrupted.

Duo didn't recognize her, but Edward seemed to, and Duo noticed the other boy's shoulders relaxed a little as the woman saluted him. Duo's eyebrows went up at that. Edward didn't act like military, but it sure seemed like most of the military people had saluted him when they saw him. Another officer appeared, wearing a black uniform instead of the dark blue the woman was wearing. Duo studied the man's face, vaguely recognizing it from the hunger-filled daze of the night before.

"Hey," the officer said, with a smile for Duo. "You're looking a lot better, now, boy."

"Thank you," Duo said immediately, sensing something wasn't quite right. The woman officer's eyes were on him, sharp and measuring, and Duo was starting to feel skewered. Edward stepped in the way again.

"...chimera, and then Lance Corporal Samuels..."

Edward was explaining, a second time, Duo gathered. At their feet, two officers in black were wrapping Samuel's body up, and several military officers were collecting the five dead chimeras. Duo watched them work, and tried to shove down the sensation that something had gone from a worrisome wrongness to severe wrongness. He nodded when his name was called, too preoccupied with figuring out what his instincts were telling him, and said nothing as he was directed to follow Edward and Alphonse to a waiting vehicle. The occupants of the car were silent on the way to the barracks, and the three boys got out without a word to the driver. Inside, they were shown to a room with two bunks and a single bed. Edward collapsed onto the lower bunk, groaning as his head hit the pillow.

After a few minutes, Edward roused himself. "Duo, go wash that blood off your face. Should be a bathroom at the end of the hall. I'll unpack Alphonse," and he managed to give his brother a crooked smile. Alphonse murmured something, and unbuckled his chest as Duo slipped out of the room.

In the hallway, Duo leaned up against the door, trying to catch his breath before exhaling slowly and heading down to the door at the end. Trying it cautiously, he opened the door to see a row of toilets, sinks, and several showers. He made quick work of washing down his face and hands, curling his lips in disgust as the thick blood dried on his face and the back of his hands. Pulling out his knives, he rinsed them off before drying them and putting them away again. Then he leaned into the mirror until he was almost nose-to-nose with his reflection.

"Too many faces," he whispered. The words felt strange in his mouth, and he slipped back into his own language. "Everywhere I go...always the same, hunh." He sighed, and shoved away from the sink, heading back to the room.

Inside the room, Edward was back on the lower bunk. Books were spread across the floor, and Edward's nose was buried in one, with two more open on the bed beside him. Duo couldn't help but chuckle, as he dropped his coat and shoes by the door before climbing up on the top bunk. He leaned over the edge, and his braid fell down to swing in front of Edward's face.

"What's Fullmetal?" Duo reached down to poke at Edward's shoulder. "Metal...what's full?"

"It's a name," Edward replied, absently swatting at Duo's hand. Duo chuckled and pulled his hand back.

"A name," Duo said. "Edward Fullmetal?"

"No," Alphonse said. "National Alchemists get a second name and a pocket watch. Brother's title is Fullmetal."

"Second name," Duo repeated. "Ah, I know what that's like."

"You do?" Edward looked up then, his golden eyes hooded. "In your world, people get second names―"

"Not all people." Duo shrugged. "Code names," he explained, remembering the word and context Edward had used in the alley. "And other names, too," he whispered, then shook his head, not sure how to express the concept in the unfamiliar language.

"You have a second name," Alphonse pondered, his tone as inscrutable as his armor helmet.

"Yeah. The person who...makes things," he waved his hand around, taking in everything in the room. "Important person. Makes everything."

"An alchemist?" Edward gave Duo a skeptical look.

"No...well, very important alchemist," Duo said, then gave up. He was too tired to debate theology. "It's nothing."

"God," Alphonse interjected. "You mean God. The person who created everything."

"God," Duo replied, and gave Alphonse a tired smile. "Yes. God who kills." The room was perfectly silent, and Duo sighed, seeing Edward's eyes staring blindly at the page, while Alphonse had shrunk back, a little. "God of Death," Duo amended, remembering the words. "Yeah...second name."

"I think all second names are too much to bear," Edward whispered. Duo leaned over, watching Edward finger the edge of the book, before the boy looked up, pinning Duo with his mile-long stare. "I prefer your first name," Edward said, quietly.

Duo gave him a smile, and not a smirk, but a true smile. "Same, Ed. Don't stay up reading all night," Duo told him. Edward's only response was to reach out and tug sharply on the braid. Duo grinned, and yanked his braid back, rolling over on his stomach and pulling the blanket over him. The last thing he did was pull the gun from the back of his jeans and slip it under his pillow, and then he let himself drift off into sleep.

 

 

 

Duo awoke to the sound of the brother's voices, and he shifted in bed, unsurprised when neither stopped their whispering at the sound of the blankets sliding against his shirt. He turned on his side, peering over the edge of the bed, to see the two brothers sitting on the single bed, books and notes scattered around them, and more on the floor. Edward's fair head was bent over a book while Alphonse scribbled notes. Ed's braid was half undone, and it looked tangled, like he'd been absentmindedly running his fingers through his hair as he read.

"The curve, here," Edward was saying, and pointed to one of the open books, "is a variation on the perimeter markings in Hosten's style."

"But these interior angles negate that," Alphonse said.

Duo scowled, trying to catch the new words. His brain was still fuzzy from sleep, and a glance to the window told him that the moon was almost to the tree line. It had to have been several hours, perhaps more. He was startled when Edward slammed one of the books shut and twisted to stare out the window over the single bed.

"It doesn't make sense, Al," Edward muttered. "The doctor was creating chimeras that would specifically attack people. And we didn't just run into two, but six, tonight. So there are still seven more out there."

"But they're attacking the people here, not in Drachma," Alphonse said. He stared down at his notes, and wrote several more lines. Flipping open another book, he paged through it, carefully, looking for something. When he found it, he stabbed at the picture with a gloved finger. "Those are the interior angles on the secondary arrays, brother." He sounded scared, and Duo tensed. "Prokov's Thesis," he added in a hushed tone.

Edward flipped the book around and studied the picture, then read through several of the pages. The two brothers were silent, until Edward looked up with a tight grin. "Transportation, not transmutation," he said, then frowned. "What the hell was he going to...wait a minute..."

Duo propped his head up on his fist, resting sideways, relatively confident that once again the two brothers were too deep in their discussion to even notice his existence. He contemplated hitting one of them in the head with something, thought of Edward's instantaneous alchemical reactions, and decided against it. Hopefully they'd explain, at some point, without using words that made him struggle to keep up. Damn, he thought, this kid fights better than me, reads faster, and moves with ease in daylight _and_ darkness. Duo let his head sink back down onto the pillow as he listened.

"This part," Edward said, running his finger over the sketch of the Doctor's array, "would do nothing more than transform. It's these six that transpose."

"That seems like a great deal of effort," Alphonse said, dubious. "To move something somewhere, when you could just get up and take it there?"

"Or perhaps he couldn't," Edward replied. He tilted his head, then, looking up at the bed with a smirk. "Come on, Duo, I know you're awake."

Duo laughed softly and rolled over on his stomach to grin at them. His braid slithered across his shoulder, but he caught it in time. Edward leaned back against the windowsill, and Duo was shocked to see that Edward was wearing only longish white boxers. It wasn't the boxers, though, but the bare legs that were revealed by them. Ed's metal leg was bare, and Duo could just see the seam where the metal encased the lower part of Edward's thigh. Edward, however, took no notice as he bent one leg under the other, balancing a book on his lap. He looked up at Duo, his expression pensive.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Lots," Duo said, and swung around to sit up on the bed, his legs hanging down. "But I don't know all the words. Transpose?"

"Move to a new place," Alphonse said.

"Transform?"

"Change."

There were others, but Duo didn't see reason to dig for more. He rolled the new words around in his head, placing them against the context, and decided they were probably all related to Alchemy. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and studied the two brothers. In the low light, Edward's metal arm and leg glowed with the same sheen as Alphonse's armor.

"If I want to do...a bad thing," Duo finally said, quietly, "I do not want to be there when other people find it."

Edward shut the book and set it aside, staring up at Duo. "We think the doctor's array was designed to create something, and then move it somewhere else. He also had a whole pack of chimeras, ready to attack anything that moves."

"Maybe he was making chimeras, and would move them somewhere else," Duo suggested. "That way, he didn't have to keep them."

"Not an array to create chimeras," Edward said. "Really, it's a very simple array." He snorted. "When you take it down to its basic parts, it's a lot like the time we made that doll for..." He stopped, and then stared at nothing in particular, his eyes wide. "Al..."

"Brother," Alphonse said, as though he'd understood, too.

"Hey, talk to me," Duo said, a bit annoyed. "You made what?"

"We made a doll, for a friend," Edward said, his eyes still distant. "It's a simple array, really, just a transformation of basic components like dirt, some chalk, some organic material like sticks and leaves. It's shaped into a form..."

"A person," Duo suggested. "A person who then goes somewhere else, and looks like he's been killed by a chimera."

Alphonse shifted on the bed, the metal clinking from the movement, and Edward looked up at Duo, his eyes refocusing sharply. "What would be the purpose of that?"

Duo leaned back on his hands, swinging his legs as he considered it carefully. If he was right, and the chimera were for attacking people - and he suspected he'd been proven right on that account, only a few hours before... "Who gets something?"

"Gets?" Edward frowned, but the expression smoothed into comprehension. "Who gains from having the chimera attack people, you mean?"

"I think," Duo mused, "if the military finds a body of a dead person, and then they find chimera...the military gains. More people to come fight chimera, and the more people, the more important the top person is."

Alphonse made a small sound of agreement. "It makes sense, brother. Once Doctor Kaufkorn knew he could transpose successfully, he could then extend the secondary arrays and send the chimera anywhere he wanted."

"As the town alchemist, he'd be called in to assist in getting rid of them, too," Edward added, sarcastically. "He created them, and then he'd get credit for helping to stop them."

Duo nodded, and shrugged. It sounded like plenty of the tricks he'd seen the Alliance play, in his own universe, but he didn't see reason to struggle with the words to explain to Edward and Alphonse. From where Duo sat, it looked like they were catching on just fine without his experience as a guide. Well, he thought, ruefully, no more of a guide than already. Duo realized Edward was staring at him, and he stopped swinging his legs, his eyebrows raised in a silent question.

"That's what had the Doctor so freaked," Edward told Duo. "When you showed up in the circle, he knew he'd transposed, but he didn't expect something coming back into the array. He must've thought he'd found the way to create homunculus."

Alphonse nodded, and Duo twisted to lie down on the bed again, staring up at the ceiling. The room was silent for several minutes.

"Brother," Alphonse said, softly. "If that's what Doctor Kaufkorn concluded...do you think he told anyone?"

Duo perked up at the strange tone in Alphonse's voice, a combination of fear and far greater anxiety than he'd heard from the suit of armor yet. Duo rolled over on his side to stare down at the two brothers, both of whom had begun packing the books away into piles at the foot of the single bed. Duo watched, baffled, and yawned. When it became clear neither brother was going to explain, Duo spoke up.

"What's so important about a homunculus?"

"They're impossible," Edward said, flatly, turning to stare up at him. "No one's been able to make one. There's theory, and stories, but nothing successful. If the Doctor thought you were one, and he'd created one..."

Duo could see Edward's conclusion before the other boy had even spoken, and a chill slipped down his spine to pool in his belly. "If the doctor was working with the military, and told them," Duo continued for Edward, "then the military thinks they have a new way to make soldiers."

"Maybe even a new weapon," Alphonse added.

"Yeah," Edward replied, scrubbing at his face. He dropped his hand, and gave Duo a smug look. "But they obviously don't know what they're dealing with. Now they'll have to deal with the Elric Brothers _and_ the God of Death. This'll be a piece o' cake!"


	6. Chapter 6

"So..." Alphonse shifted a little, his armor creaking as he studied his brother. "What do we do now?"

Edward looked up to see Duo giving him an appraising look, and Edward set his shoulders. "We investigate, of course," he proclaimed, and grabbed his jeans.

Dressing quickly, he looked up to see Duo was ready at the door, his boots on and his long black coat buttoned up. Edward left his red coat on the bed, and opened the door, checking the hallway. No one was in sight. Duo was muttering something under his breath, and Edward nudged him.

"I don't know the words," Duo said. "I need..." He made a waving motion with his hands, and shoved them into his pockets, looking irritated. "Things," he said.

"What kind of things?"

"The kind..." Duo hesitated, then shook his head. "There are places..." He brightened, then. "We need to buy things."

"Everything's closed, Duo," Alphonse said softly.

"Not to me!" Duo grinned over his shoulder at the suit of armor, and took off down the hallway. Edward stifled a growl, and took off after the small figure in black, Alphonse right behind him.

"I wish he'd stop doing that," Edward muttered.

"Brother," Alphonse said, noticing Duo hanging a right, away from the front doors. "Where's he going?"

Edward glanced at the signs, and shrugged, jogging along behind Duo. "Officer's Mess, looks like." They pushed through the door after Duo, waiting as Duo skidded under the counter, popping up on the other side. The boy rummaged through several containers, before pulling one out with a look of glee. He set it on the counter, and disappeared into the kitchen's storage, returning a few minutes later with his arms full of little bottles. Grabbing a potato bag from under the counter, Duo shoveled everything in, and then crawled under the counter.

"That's some, but we need lots more," he announced, heading for the door. He turned, waving them forward. "Come on!"

Edward gave Alphonse a confused look, and shook his head, following Duo again. Not more than ten minutes later, he found himself on the street, in front of a hardware store. Duo left the bag with Alphonse, and skittered down the alleyway, his footsteps silent as his black coat blended in with the darkness. Ed slouched against the wall of the alleyway, feeling grumpy.

"Brother," Alphonse whispered. "I think he's breaking into the store." The suit of armor fidgeted. "I'm not sure―"

"It's okay, Al," Edward said, even if he didn't feel it. "I don't know what he's doing, but I get the feeling he's done this before."

"That's what I'm worried about, brother."

Alphonse was quiet after that, and the two waited. Edward shifted several times, only stopping once Alphonse gave him a look, and Edward grumbled as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. He nearly leapt straight into the air at a touch on his shoulder.

"Warn me, wouldya?" Edward spat, trying to regain some dignity.

"Right," Duo replied, unperturbed. He held up a bag and a jug of water. "Got everything."

"What are you going to do with all that?" Edward picked up the potato sack, listening to the bottles clink.

"Come on," Duo told them. "Need to move away from here." He led the way again, and Edward realized they were heading back towards the house. A block from the house, though, he smelled something, and Edward stopped, sniffing.

"What is it, brother?"

Edward shook his head and took off, a foreboding feeling in his gut. Coming around the corner, he was shocked to see the doctor's house. It was lit up from the inside on the first floor, but the glow was orange, not the dull yellow of lamplight. Edward stared; barely registering Duo and Alphonse had joined him.

"It's burning," he whispered, and turned to see Duo's eyes wide, his mouth open. Duo shook his head, looking like he was trying to say something, and took a step forward. Edward realized immediately what Duo was intending, and grabbed a hole of the other boy's arm. "No," he said, urgently. "If it's burning, there's no reason to go in. We can do the same array, somewhere else. We have all the notes and books...you made sure of that. It's okay." He paused, trying to remember the unfamiliar word, and grinned sharply. "It's cool," he said.

The word seemed to snap Duo out of his trance, and he turned, giving Edward a haunted look. "Cool," he repeated, uncertain.

"Yeah, cool." Edward glanced at the bags in their hands. "Come on down this alley, and do whatever you need to. We don't have all night."

So it was that Edward found himself crouched next to Duo, alongside Alphonse, watching as Duo mixed the powder from the Officers' Mess with the powder from the hardware store, then poured it all out onto the ground. Duo pointed to the pile, a metal scoop in one hand.

"Can you...make warm," Duo said. "Fire. Not fire...make warm."

"I think I know what you mean," Edward said. "Wait, if I don't do it right, is this going to explode?"

"No." Duo shrugged, a lazy smirk flashing across his features. "Well...don't _think_ so."

"Great," Edward mumbled, and clapped his hands together. Focusing on the pile, he placed his hands forward, watching as the pile melted into itself. He continued to hold his hands out until Duo bumped his arm.

"Good, stop, enough," Duo whispered, and began scooping the material into several jars. He stuck wooden matches in the top of each, and set the eight jars aside. Taking the rest of the jars, he poured water into each, followed by something that looked like gravel. Capping those tightly, he checked the first eight jars, humming low in his throat as he squatted over the rows of jars. "Good, good," he said, and grinned over his shoulder at Edward. Collecting the various jars, Duo shoved several into one pocket, and several into the other, then handed the rest to Alphonse. "You take," he instructed. "If anything goes bad, these will hurt you less than him."

"If anything goes bad?" Edward scowled. "What are these?"

Duo made a strange sound, and waved his arms, but it was enough to get the idea. Before Edward could respond, Duo had busied himself hiding the rest of the materials along the alley, behind various boxes of trash. When he was done, he stood up, giving Edward an expectant look.

"All right, then." Edward shivered as the winter wind came sweeping down the alley. "Let's start with the Lieutenant Colonel's offices."

 

 

 

Edward noted the two guards in front of the military headquarters. The three of them were tucked around the corner, while Edward tried to peek, but kept finding Duo was in his way. The shorter boy was crouched on the ground, studying the front of the building intently, and glanced up at Edward with a wide grin. Edward looked down to see Duo slipping two of the bottles from his pocket and setting them in the corner where the brickwork stood out a little. The gravel in the bottom of the jars rattled a little, and Duo flinched as he set them down carefully. Edward started to ask, but thought better of it. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

"Let's check the back," Edward whispered. Making their way between the fence and the bushes lining the perimeter of the building, the three regrouped in the back, where there was one soldier sitting on a stool by the back gate. Duo saw the man, and stood up, brushing the leaves off his coat.

"We go in that way," he announced. "Wait here, and I'll open."

"You'll what?" Edward managed to grab Duo's arm at the last second and tug him back. "What are you _doing_?"

"Just watch," Duo said, disengaging his arm from Ed's hand. He smoothed himself down again, and took off at a trot.

"Brother," Alphonse said, but Edward raised a hand, intent on Duo's progress.

The two watched as Duo strolled right up to the gate, motioning and speaking in a soft undertone. He pointed down the back driveway, and then in another direction, and Edward frowned as the soldier yawned, got up from the stool and went to stand in front of the iron gate. A second later Duo's hand shot out, between the gate, and slammed the soldier into the gate. The man hung there for a second, then slid down, and Duo turned, waving quickly to them.

Edward and Alphonse came running up from their hiding place by the corner. Alphonse was making worried sounds, and Edward stared at the soldier, then at Duo, who had already unlocked the gate and was through, into the yard.

"Sleeping," Duo said, and started to drag the man out of sight. "Keys, in pocket," he added, tossing the keys to Edward. Alphonse helped Duo move the man back to his original position, lifting him up onto the stool. The man's head lolled back, his mouth open. Duo patted the man's shoulder almost affectionately. "Sleeping," he whispered again. "Two bottles," he said to Alphonse, and picked the ones he wanted, dashing off to the side of the building before returning a few seconds later.

Edward, meanwhile, had figured out which key unlocked the building, and pushed the heavy wooden door open. The three tiptoed in, and Edward looked around for the back stairs. "Office is on the top floor," he whispered, pointing. The two others nodded.

"I watch," Duo said. "You go."

"Are you sure?" Alphonse shook his head, his armor clanging softly with the motion. "I can guard."

"I can't read," Duo pointed out. "You can. Go help."

Edward shrugged, and nodded to Alphonse. Together they left Duo at the bottom of the stairs, with the rest of the little bottles. At the top of the second flight, Edward paused, trying to get his bearings on the commandant's office before taking off down the hallway. Their footsteps were silent on the carpet, and there were no guards in sight.

"This is it," Edward said, stopping in front of a door that said Lieutenant Colonel Wasser.

Ready to create a new door, he started to clap his hands together when Alphonse tried the doorknob. It wasn't locked. Edward smirked, and pushed the door open the rest of the way. The layout looked remarkably similar to Mustang's office, with a main desk by the window and two desks on either side for his support staff. Filing cabinets lined one wall, with bookshelves on the other wall.

"I'll start on this side," Alphonse said.

Edward nodded, making his way to the left-hand desk, sorting through the papers. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but if the military was involved in the chimeras, there would have to be something.

"Brother," Alphonse whispered loudly. He held up several letters. "These are drafts of letters demanding reinforcements, to protect the townsfolk against chimeras sent by Drachma." Alphonse glanced at the paper in his hand. "They're dated a week ago!"

"Before the chimeras were even let loose," Edward murmured. He moved to the Lieutenant Colonel's desk, trying every drawer. The bottom one was locked, but he wrenched it open easily with his metal arm. At least the bastard's organized, he thought, seeing a file with a neatly hand-lettered label of Doctor Kaufkorn. Flipping it open, Edward couldn't help but whistle. "Jackpot," he said, and pulled out all the papers, folding them and shoving them into his back pocket. It was a tight squeeze, but fortunately the file hadn't been too thick.

A soft whistle at the door alerted them both. Duo was standing there, looking worried. He knelt down, placing a little bottle on either side of the door, and grinned up at Edward through his bangs. "Found chimeras in the basement. Couldn't stay around, because the military people found the sleeping man," he whispered. "Have to go!"

"Right," Edward said. "I think we've got enough." Alphonse nodded, and Duo waved them into the hallway. Edward could hear footsteps pounding up the main stairs, and he glanced around. "Back stairs," he said, pointing, even as his mind was spinning rapidly. Chimeras were being kept in the basement. Perfect. Now if he could just get them, then that would be the last bit of proof he'd need to shut the operation down.

Two soldiers came around the corner, and Duo stepped forward, waving Edward and Alphonse back into the office. Edward hissed, caught off-guard as Duo shoved at his chest. There was a quick flame of a match, and then Duo tossed another bottle down the hallway. A whoosh echoed back to them, and Duo reached into the office, grabbing Edward.

"Now we run," Duo said.

Edward glanced over his shoulder to see billowing smoke. He could just make out the figures of the two guards, coughing and waving their arms. Duo turned, almost running backwards, and lit the fuse on another bottle, tossing it expertly. It hit the wall and exploded, smoke instantly filling the hallway. Alphonse was already through the doors, and Edward pounded down the stairs after him. They were trailed by Duo, who set off two more smoke bombs. At the bottom of the stairs, Edward halted, hearing footsteps pounding down the main hallway of the military headquarters. He frowned, and prepared to clap his hands.

Then an explosion rocked the building, followed by a second one, and then a third one. Edward stared at his hands, then realized it wasn't him, and gave Duo a confused look.

"Boom," Duo said, and grinned. He cocked his head to the side, and chuckled, a wicked sound. "All military people go look," he said.

Edward pushed the stairwell door open, and checked the hallway. It was empty, but he could hear sirens coming from the front doors. Making a quick decision, Edward shook his head as Duo headed for the back doors.

"This way," Edward said. "We're going out the front."

"The front?" Alphonse shook his head. "Brother, what about―"

"No," Edward said, grinning as he straightened his jacket, never breaking his stride.

Another explosion rocked the building, from the basement, and Duo's chuckle was barely audible. Edward rolled his eyes, and took a deep breath before pushing the front doors open. He walked out onto the imposing front steps. The gates were open and at least six military vehicles were pulled up onto the circular driveway. One car was in flames, obviously parked a little too close to the bombs Duo had left at the corner. The fence was rubble, and Edward grinned just as another explosion went off, somewhere in the upper floors.

"You!" A short, round man waddled forward, his military jacket haphazardly buttoned. There were fuzzy slippers on his feet, and his hair stuck up on one side. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Wasser, and I demand to know why you've broken into my headquarters and―" another bomb blew out the windows on the second floor, and the people gathered on the lawn simultaneously ducked "―and bombed it! Just who do you think you are?"

Edward could see townsfolk gathering in the street, on the other side of the impromptu barricade of military vehicles. He raised his voice to be heard, shoving his hands in his pockets as he planted his feet widely. It was a cocky stance, but he was feeling rather pleased with himself.

"I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist, and I have proof that the chimeras loose in this town were created on your orders," he yelled. The crowd was silent, then a quick whisper ran through, like a ripple. Edward grinned, letting his smile grow sharp with teeth. "You hired Doctor Kaufkorn to create them, so you could have reason to bring more military into the town, and blame it all on Drachma."

"That's ridiculous! I'm only here to keep the peace," Wasser shouted back.

"Oh, yeah?" Edward arched an eyebrow, and stepped down another step. He was still looking down on the man, and he liked that just fine. "I have papers in my possession which are correspondence between you and Doctor Kaufkorn, detailing what you want in fighting chimeras, and where you want them placed, and when, to best frighten the town." The last part wasn't entirely true, but Edward figured it was implied, based on the quick look he'd had at the file. Besides, it was making the townspeople shift nervously and eye the Lieutenant Colonel and his men with a growing fear and irritation, and that was just what Edward wanted.

"You have no grounds to accuse me," Wasser retaliated. "You just broke into a military building, and set it on fire! You're the criminal, here!"

"I wouldn't have had to break in if you didn't insist on trying to keep me out," Edward replied, shrugging. There was another explosion from behind him, and he felt more than heard Alphonse's cry of alarm. Edward spun, clapping his hands quickly. The crowd screamed as light flashed upwards, dimming to reveal Edward with his favorite blade, jutting out from his wrist in a line with his forearm. And then, the first chimera was on him.

He slashed at the chest, twisting to kick another chimera as it jumped. The second chimera fell backwards, yelping. Duo grabbed it, knifing it deftly even as he avoided another chimera's attack. Alphonse punched a fifth chimera, then grabbed the next and threw it against the wall. Two more chimeras came through the door, straight for Edward. He ducked, his right hand going into the first's stomach as he flipped it over his head. The second chimera hit him in the chest. He twisted, kicking it towards Duo, who caught it, slitting its throat. Alphonse slammed a fist into the last chimera's head. It slid across the stone steps to land in a heap against the other bodies. Edward looked around, noting Duo's arm was bloody but he was grinning as he wiped his knife. Alphonse was studying the chimeras' bodies, and nodded to Edward.

"All six, brother," Alphonse reported.

Edward scowled a little, and clapped his hands for the alchemical reaction to melt the blade back into his metal arm. He nudged the closest body with his boot, and glanced at Duo. The boy seemed much too pleased with himself. "You have anything to do with this?" Edward asked in an undertone.

Duo raised his eyebrows and shrugged nonchalantly, then jerked his head towards the street. Edward turned to see the crowd frozen. His movement seemed to ignite something, and the crowd began screaming furiously. Several of the soldiers nearest began ducking and dodging, scrambling to get behind the cars. Edward realized the people were throwing rocks and bricks: anything they could get their hands on.

"Are you going to stop them?" Duo's voice was soft as he came to stand beside Edward.

"Why?" Edward shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels, watching. "Not my problem. I dealt with the chimeras. Let them clean up the rest of the mess." He could feel Duo's eyes on him, and he shrugged. "Law of Conservation. What do I have to gain, from doing more?"

Duo opened his mouth, and then closed it, turning away with a distant look on his face. "Nothing, I guess," he whispered. "Nothing important to you."

"Yeah," Edward replied, but the smug feeling faded, a little. He shook it off, focusing on the satisfaction of watching Wasser running around in his bedroom slippers, trying to get the soldiers to follow his commands and get him safely away from the crowd. Unfortunately, a number of the soldiers looked close to mutiny. The ones that weren't refusing weren't doing much to alleviate the situation, either, too busy trying to dodge the crowd's projectiles. In the midst of the furor, Edward belatedly realized a man was walking up the steps, flanked by two more officers carrying guns. One of them was Second Lieutenant Holt.

"That's far enough," Edward told them, his senses suddenly on alert. Their guns were out, but not trained on him, and he relaxed slightly. "What do you want?"

"Peace and quiet," the man said. He was tall, with broad shoulders, but he carried himself in a relaxed manner. It reminded Edward of Lieutentant Colonel Mustang, and he tensed, noting that the insignias on the man's jacket indicated he was an officer. "I'm Major Selwyn."

Selwyn glanced at the crowd, which was slowly calming down as the soldiers continued to offer no resistance. Behind them, the building burned. A number of citizens were streaming into the yard, bringing hoses to put out the fire. The group on the steps ignored them all, despite the growing heat emanating from the imposing structure.

"I was aware of the Lieutenant Colonel's machinations," Selwyn said, calmly. "You have to understand, when you're stationed to an outpost like this, the chances of promotion are next to nothing, unless you're in command of a large force that's going to see regular action. It's been ten years since we've had any skirmishes on the border."

Edward crossed his arms and glowered. "So?"

"Just explaining," Selwyn replied. "I was never crazy about having chimeras loose on our streets. Wasser had his eyes on boosting his command, however, and couldn't see past his nose to the real prize."

The man smiled then, and it wasn't a pleasant expression. His eyes drifted past Edward, and Edward tensed, ready to leap into action to defend his brother. Could Selwyn possibly have found out that Alphonse was soul-bound to the suit of armor? Edward thought frantically. Had anyone seen them putting the books in Alphonse, or taking them out? All it would take was one glance, and a smart mind could figure out...His thoughts were interrupted by Selwyn's polite cough.

"You've effectively unseated Wasser, and I can guarantee that this town will return to its peaceful ways, with a new commandant relatively shortly," Selwyn was saying.

"How do you figure that?" Edward looked out across the crowd, and stepped down a few more steps. The three people on the steps backed up as well, giving them room to get away from the burning building. "I see mostly chaos right now."

"People have short memories. Once the chimeras are gone, they won't care about much else." Selwyn shrugged. "I'll offer you a deal. You can take the knowledge that you've probably saved a number of lives from dreadful chimera attacks, and head back to Central. In the meantime, I'll take the real prize."

Edward shifted on his feet, then realized the guns were now pointing to his left, not his right. It took only a heartbeat and he couldn't hold back the gasp. "Duo..."

"You gave it a name?" Selwyn nodded to one of the officers, who stepped forward, gun still ready as he dug in his pocket, bringing out handcuffs. Holt remained where she was, her gun swinging between Duo and Edward, her eyes narrow. Edward didn't move. Even with the speed of his alchemical reactions, he still couldn't move fast enough to stop a bullet.

"Got 'im, sir," the second officer said.

"Wait," Edward interrupted, unable to stop his voice from going up a notch, desperately. "He's not a homunculus."

"Really?" Selwyn looked bored. "Like you have any way to prove that. Your suitcase is waiting at the train station, and I suggest you be on the next train. All the materials in your room seem to have disappeared when the janitor cleaned. Pity. I understand National Alchemists are big on research, but you'll gain nothing from getting in my way. And if he's not a homunculus, what do you care, anyway?"

"I..." Edward couldn't think of anything to say, to that. Technically, he knew, he didn't really care. There was nothing he could learn from Duo's existence, nothing that would enlighten him on the alchemical processes that might get him one step closer to the Philosopher's Stone. And that was all that really counted, in the end. Nothing else mattered, of course, other than the fact that Duo had offered friendship with no expectation of a return. Edward opened his mouth again, and something caught his eye.

Duo was standing by the soldier, his head down, a small black shape on the stone steps. His hands were cuffed behind him, and the officer had him by the elbow, facing Selwyn and Holt. Only Edward and Alphonse could see Duo's hands, and they were moving in a quick series of gestures. Edward wasn't sure what they meant, or what Duo was trying to say, but those hand-flashes reminded him of Duo's gestures from the top of the stairs, when they'd first discovered the chimeras were gone. Edward struggled to remember, aware of the fire at his back, the shouting populace in the streets, and the two guns - one on him, one on Duo. What had he said?

 _You go in first, and I'll come around from behind._ Edward wasn't sure if that was what the hand signals had meant, then, or now. He had no idea, really, of the exact message Duo was trying to say, but he decided to go with his gut instinct. Edward relaxed his shoulders, giving Selwyn a casual shrug.

"All right, then, we're square. You can have your fake homunculus." Edward grinned, a bit toothily, matching Selwyn's smile. "Al and I will find our own way to the station."

Alphonse murmured something behind Edward, but Edward shook his head, silencing him. The second officer tugged Duo forward, and Duo went, his head down, his braid swaying behind him as he was shoved towards a waiting car. Selwyn watched, and gave Edward a cursory nod, turning to follow. Holt followed as well, her gun still at the ready. She didn't bother to salute Edward, and he snorted at her back, unimpressed.

"Brother," Alphonse said, "we should move away from the building...and go get him back."

"Yes to the moving, no to the getting," Edward replied, trotting quickly down the steps and around into the side yard.

Keeping his head down, he wove through the crowd, ignoring their shouting as they threw water buckets at the lower windows and trained hoses on the upper windows. Edward was quiet, knowing Alphonse was next to him, until they were on the street behind the headquarters, putting more distance between them and the burning building. The wind pulled at the corners of his black jacket, colder now that he was no longer standing so close to an inferno. Edward sighed and shoved his hands deeper in his pockets, watching his feet. Alphonse was quiet, clanking along behind him, until they turned the corner to see the train station.

"Brother," Alphonse said, a little desperately. "We shouldn't leave him. They're going to do horrible things to him―"

"Maybe they will," Edward said, trying to sound cool and uncaring. "But once they find he's not what they think he is..."

"How? A homunculus isn't supposed to have a soul, but it is supposed to walk, and talk, and look like a human being. How can he prove he's got a soul? It's not like there's an array stamped on him somewhere..." Alphonse trailed off, and his silence stabbed at Edward even more than his words. Al's voice returned, a reproving whisper. "We shouldn't have let them take him."

"What was I supposed to do? I can't stop a bullet at five feet, Al." Edward hunched his shoulders. "And if they'd shot you instead, it would have been clear immediately that you're an even bigger prize," Edward retorted under his breath. He headed for the ticket window, unsurprised to find the ticket clerk was a military officer. Edward didn't even have to say anything, but was immediately handed his coat and his suitcase, two tickets, and waved towards the platform. "Come on," he said, leading the way to a bench on the southbound side as he pulled on his coat. "Next train is in thirty minutes."

"I don't want to be anyone's prize," Alphonse said. "But I don't want anyone _else_ to be, either."

"I know, Al." Edward leaned back, putting his hands behind his head and stretching his legs out in front of him. "But you're what's really important to me. I won't risk you. If Duo's going to get out of there, it's up to him."

"Do you think he can?"

"I think _he_ thinks he can, and that's going to have to be good enough."

Alphonse sighed. "I hope so."


	7. Chapter 7

Duo settled into the backseat of the car, somewhat heartened by the fact that these military guys hadn't roughed him up even half as much as OZ would have by that point. The ride was quiet, with the Major muttering things to the woman driving, while the man at Duo's side kept his gun out. Duo was torn between sighing in disgust, and rolling his eyes. The gun's safety had been on the entire time. Somehow, it seemed to figure that Edward wouldn't have known the difference.

The car pulled up in front of another building, and Duo was hauled from the car. He stumbled on purpose, taking advantage of the momentary delay to look around and get his bearings. The two people in the front seat stayed in the car, and Duo watched out of the corner of his eye as the car pulled away from the curb and disappeared into the night.

There were men and women walking in and out of the building, even this late at night, and they were all dressed in black. Duo smiled to himself. It looked like they'd decide to hold him at the civilian police station, since the military headquarters was probably already nothing more than a pile of smoking rubble. Duo shifted, feeling the last two smoke bombs clink together, and ducked his head to keep from laughing outright as he was hauled past several police officers and into the building. He was brought to a halt in front of a desk, and his escort waited for them to be noticed. The woman looked up, a bored expression on her face.

"May I help you?" Her gaze flicked over Duo, and he gave her a cheeky smile. Her expression was severe, but he noticed one side of her mouth quirking like she was having a little trouble remaining stern. She cleared her throat and looked over his head. "I wasn't aware the military was in the habit of delivering juvenile delinquents."

"He's not...well, he is, but he's of special interest to the military. We need to keep him in one of your holding cells until we can transfer him to Central," the man said. The woman shrugged, and waved them off, in the direction of the hallway behind her desk. The man pushed Duo forward, twisting his arm a bit to send him towards the holding cells.

Central, Duo thought, recognizing the city's name. Selwyn had told Edward to head back to Central, and Edward's boss was named...Duo racked his brains for the information. Mustang. Something...Mustang. Duo pondered sitting tight in a locked cell, and letting these guys do all the work getting him to Central. He just as quickly squashed the notion. Sitting around and waiting wasn't quite his style. Not if he had anything to do with it, he added darkly. And it wasn't like anyone was going to show up and get him out, either. First, Edward and Alphonse were on their way to Central, and second, Heero wasn't even in this world. On the upside, that did reduce his chances of getting shot by any rescuer, so that was a plus.

Duo was shoved through the double doors and down a long hallway. He caught quick glimpses of the locks on the holding cells as they walked past, and he had to duck his head to hide a smirk. Actually, he decided, getting out of this place might end up downright boring, if the locks were that simple.

"Hey, boy!" The call came from somewhere nearby, and Duo was brought up short as the officer started at the sound. The shout came again, and Duo turned to see the man - one of the two from the Doctor's basement - heading down the row towards them. Hecht's face was lit up in recognition, but he frowned as he came closer, realizing Duo's hands were cuffed. At the last minute, the policeman's face was smoothed into blandness. "Oh, sorry. I thought you had my nephew, there."

"I doubt it," the officer replied. "We're using your facilities to house him overnight, before we can send him to Central."

"Yeah," Hecht replied, nodding thoughtfully. "Heard there was a big ruckus over at the Military Headquarters. Some kind of explosions."

"Vandalism," the man replied, and pointed to the empty cell at the end of the block. "Do you have keys?"

"Oh, sure, sure," Hecht said. He fished keys out of his pocket, and opened the door. Duo was shoved inside, and he turned immediately, planting his feet belligerently even as his fingers began working furiously on the cuffs. Hecht winked at him, then turned to the officer. "Say, how long is he going to be here? If you're going to come get him after nine in the morning, I'll put him on the list for breakfast."

"He won't need breakfast," the officer said curtly. "Just make sure he's left in there alone. We don't want anyone else endangered because they're left in the same cell with him. He may look helpless, but he's not." With that, the officer turned and stalked off, obviously having had enough of escorting a kid around.

Duo watched him go without much regret. Hecht remained where he was, though, a contemplative look on his face.

"Hey, kid," Hecht called, very softly. "You okay? You seem to turn up in the strangest places."

"Yeah," Duo replied, grinning. He brought one hand from behind his back, raising it behind his head to scratch an itch under his braid. "But it's okay. I'll be fine."

"You'll be..." Hecht's eyes went wide, and his gaze fell from Duo's raised arm, to the other arm, where cuffs were still dangling from Duo's wrist. Hecht chuckled softly. "Yeah...I guess you will. Where you gonna go, kid? The military has this city covered, especially with the town going a little crazy after finding out about the Lieutenant Colonel's plans to set us up for another war."

"I need to go to Central," Duo told him, pitching his voice low. He tugged the cuffs off his other wrist, and handed them through the bars to Hecht. Duo flexed his hands, and rubbed at the scrapes from the cuffs, even though he'd nearly dislocated his thumbs to work free. Another quick hand-wring, and his thumbs popped back into joint. Duo glanced at Hecht, waiting.

"There's a three-thirty train, in about fifteen minutes," Hecht said. "I don't know if you can make it."

"Got any ideas for getting there fast?" Duo glanced casually up and down the hallway. There were double doors at the near end by his cell, and another set at the far end. Two police officers were standing at the far end of the hallway by the doors, chatting. Probably the guards, Duo thought.

"It's on my way home, and my shift was over a few minutes ago," Hecht admitted with a wry grin. "But I saw you, and wondered why you were here without the National Alchemist."

"They sent him home, and I need to catch up with him," Duo said. He pulled his braid around, fishing in the hair for his lock picks. "Where's your car?"

"In the back." Hecht pocketed the cuffs, just as the two guards turned away to speak with another police officer. He lowered his voice, looking off down the hallway as though just pausing for thought before heading off. "When you go out the back door, look to the left. There's a low line of bushes, and I'll be at the end, parked next to them, with the engine running." He grinned. "Don't know why I'm doing this, but you're not a normal kid, are you...I could've sworn you couldn't speak a word of our language when I first saw you."

"No, I couldn't," came the confession. Duo poked the lock pick into his side of the lock, and fiddled with it. It clicked, and Duo grinned. "Go on...and thank you."

"Wait for three minutes," the policeman said. "I'll think of something to distract them up front."

"Use these," Duo said, holding out the bottles. "Light this bit, and throw. Smoke."

Hecht palmed the bottles from Duo, and stared at them for a second, then laughed, long and low. "Y'know, I never did like the military. And I sure as hell don't like it when they try to do my job for me. And I sure as hell don't like it when they risk my family, or come up with a scheme that could get my sons killed, just because some bastard wants a promotion. I don't know what you are, but I don't see any reason to make you a dog of the military against your will. No one deserves that fate." Hecht tucked the bottles into his pocket and strolled off, whistling.

Duo watched him go, and stayed by the door, holding it shut as he waited. He'd counted to a hundred and twenty under his breath when the first shouts came. Another ninety heartbeats passed, and more shouts came from somewhere outside the building. It wasn't until those second shouts echoed through that the two policemen by the front doors took off. Duo grinned, opening the cell door. A quick glance around, and he bolted for the back door. It was locked, but a few twiddles from the lock pick, and the door swung open. Down another hallway, and Duo ducked behind a plant stand as more police officers went running past. Almost laughing out loud at the simplicity, Duo headed towards a door that looked suitably thick to be an outside door. Kicking it open, he found himself in the back parking lot.

There, along the bushes, at the end, was a car. Its running lights were on. Duo slunk down behind the bushes, running almost on hands and knees, hunkered down until he got to the car. Opening the door just a little, he slipped inside. It wasn't until he pulled the door shut that the driver sat up with a start.

"That you, boy?" Hecht asked the question, barely moving his mouth.

"Yeah," Duo whispered.

"There's a blanket. Pull it over you, and stay down. The front street is swarming with police and military."

Hecht pulled the car away from its parking space, and Duo listened as the car slowed down, rolling to a stop. The blanket muffled the sounds, but from what Duo could tell, Hecht was asking about injuries to his coworkers. A few more friendly words were exchanged, and Hecht shouted a good night as he pulled away. Several minutes passed, the car speeding up and slowing down as it turned corners and came to stops at intersections.

"All right, boy," Hecht said. "We're at the train station. I think you have about five minutes before the next train. You going to be able to make it from here?"

"Yeah," Duo said, slipping from the car. He paused, long enough to flash a grin over his face. "Thank you, again. I can't repay you―"

"Just don't let the bastards use you for their purposes, boy," Hecht whispered.

"I won't," Duo replied, and was off, running across the side lawn leading up to the train station. I won't, he promised, in this world or any other.

 

 

 

Duo stayed in the shadows, waiting anxiously for the train. He wasn't willing to step out and see if Edward and Alphonse were there, and risk being seen himself, so he kept to the far end of the platform. When the train whistle sounded from across the distance, Duo tensed, his mind going into overdrive as he began considering the different ways to sneak on a train. He'd snuck onto shuttles, and ships, and one colony cruiser in his lifetime, but a train was going to be a new experience. As the train neared the station, Duo could only shake his head and grin at his luck.

It's not just any train, he thought. It's got a damn _steam_ engine.

Which meant the undercarriage would probably be exposed, if he recalled G's ramblings about the developments of transportation. The old man had liked to go on about where he'd gotten some of his ideas for Deathscythe, and they seemed to come from the oddest places. Unfortunately, Duo wasn't sure about much more than the fact that steam was produced from some kind of combustion, and it drove the wheels. That was pretty rudimentary, since all moving vehicles operated under the same premise: an engine, of some sort, either pushed or pulled the vehicle. Duo groaned as the train pulled into the station. The undercarriage was completely exposed.

It's going to be a long, cold, ride, he thought. And if this isn't the right train, I'm gonna shoot someone. Possibly myself.

He perked up when he heard the conductor yelling that the train was bound for Central, with some number of stops between that Duo didn't catch. He was too busy darting out behind the conductor and slipping under the last section of the train. Tucking his braid down the back of his coat, Duo buttoned up the coat and weaseled up under the train's belly. He kept going until he was on his back, his chest pressed up to the wooden undercarriage and his cheek flat against the wood. Duo wriggled experimentally, making sure there were no moving parts nearby, and that he wouldn't slip accidentally.

Now he just needed to stay awake...and not freeze to death.

 

 

 

By the third stop, Duo had taken to chanting weapons statistics at the top of his lungs to keep himself awake. During the first stop, he'd managed to rearrange himself so his coat collar was pulled up over his head, but it left his ankles and feet exposed. There was no comfortable way to curl up, not with four bands of steel running behind his body, making his hips sink while his back was curved from the bar across the base of his spine. At least he'd managed to find ways to grab a hold of two more bars with his arms, locking his hands together in case his shoulders slipped off the first bar. Duo kept his face pressed to the wood; listening to the conductor announce the station's name followed by Central as the final destination.

Once the train started going again, Duo went back to shouting. This time, it was a listing of his kill rate of mobile dolls, broken down by types, compared to Wing and Heavyarms. He was pleased to discover he was in the lead.

Two more stops came and went, and Duo couldn't feel his legs from his knees down. He gritted his teeth, his throat sore, and tried desperately not to think of hot coffee, warm baths, and big fluffy blankets. It didn't help that he was certain he was coated in grime, between the soot from the engine and the dirt from the train tracks underneath. At least his braid was tucked up inside his coat, he thought. One less thing to wash, even if the rest of him would need to be dipped in bleach and wrung out thoroughly.

Warm bleach, preferably.

 

 

 

When the train pulled into Central, the sun was just beginning to rise, and Duo had to claw his way out from under the train. He fell to the tracks with a solid thump, and lay there for a second, trying to get his breath. His legs were completely numb, and he rolled around on the tracks between the wheels, hoping he had enough time to get from under the train before it moved again. Dragging himself by his elbows, he struggled to clench and unclench his hands, cursing the lack of feeling. His face was numb as well, which he didn't realize until his elbows gave out and he went face-first into the train bed's gravel.

Dully he forced himself back up again, and thanked whatever powers that existed in this world that no one seemed to notice a dark shape crawling out from under the last train car. He rested for a split second once he was out from under the train, then hoisted himself up onto the platform. He twisted as he moved, until he was perched on the edge. Duo smacked his hands against the concrete and winced as the feeling started to return.

Maybe I should've let the military bring me to Central, he thought, bleakly. I feel even worse than if Oz _had_ worked me over.

"Hey, kid," someone yelled. "You can't sit there!"

Duo looked up to see a conductor heading towards him, and he grinned, hoping he looked suitably young. The conductor waved his arms as he approached, obviously angry.

"Go on! Get out of here!"

"Yeah, yeah," Duo muttered, clambering unsteadily to his feet. He swayed, but didn't fall, if only through sheer willpower. "Military headquarters," he croaked, as the conductor came closer. "Where..."

"Like they'd have anything to do with a street rat like you," the conductor muttered. "Get out of my station. I won't have any pickpockets around. This place isn't for the likes of you."

Duo shrugged and barely managed to turn around, following the streams of people on the off chance they were all heading for an exit. He stumbled a little, but caught himself, keeping his head down and his hands in his pockets. He wasn't sure entirely what the conductor had said, but the tone of voice was one he recognized enough from his childhood. He figured it was probably the same thing on any world: you're a kid who's up to no good, stealing and panhandling. Get out of here, before I call the cops.

Whatever, Duo thought, and raised one numb hand to wipe at his face. He couldn't see a sign of Alphonse or Edward anywhere, and sighed. A six-foot tall suit of armor shouldn't be that hard to find, even in the early morning crowd of commuters. Someone bumped into him, and he nearly fell, but caught himself against the wall. He pushed forward, leaning against the wall for balance, and after several minutes made it to the doors. Taking a careful step away from the wall, Duo threw himself into the press of bodies and let them carry him along.

A few seconds later he was out the doors, and had two wallets in his pocket. He wasn't sure what the money was like here, but he'd seen the money Alphonse had used to pay for their pastries. Paper, and some metal coins. Duo hoped the wallets were full, and tottered away from the doors quickly. With his fingers still mostly numb, he was sure his technique had to be clumsy, and his shoulders tensed, waiting for someone to start yelling. When no one did, he looked around for something that looked like a taxi.

They better have taxis, he thought. What kind of civilized world wouldn't have taxis?

There were several cars that looked like Hecht's, parked along the curb. They had signs on their roofs, and Duo grabbed the first one, crossing his fingers that his guess was right. He had to scrabble with his hands to get the back door open, and threw himself into the back seat.

"Military headquarters," he said, and coughed. The driver turned around, giving him a bored look, rapidly replaced by a wide-eyed stare. Duo grinned wryly, figuring he wasn't the cleanest passenger the driver had ever had. Duo coughed again to clear his throat, and dug out the wad of money from the first wallet. "Please. Military headquarters. Go fast."

"Ah, sure, kid," the driver said, then paused. "You didn't steal this, did you?"

Great, Duo thought, figuring out the word by context. How do I get around that one? Thinking fast, he put on a sorrowful face. "It's all I have left," he explained. The driver stared at the money, then Duo, and took it, nodding.

"Okay, direct to Military Headquarters...which one?"

"Which one?" Duo blinked. "Alchemists," he finally said, his voice hoarse. "National Alchemists. Mustang."

"Don't know the name, but I know the Alchemists' headquarters. Other side of town, in the North Annex," the driver replied. He pulled away from the curb, and Duo looked back over his shoulder to see two people by the train station doors, shouting and waving their arms. Duo slunk down in the seat, and basked in the warmth of the taxi's heater system.

Fifteen minutes later, the taxi pulled up in front of a large building. Duo's shoulders slumped at the wide-open space between the gates and the front of the building. It was a long way to cross, with no cover, and his instincts went on full alert. He distantly realized the driver was holding out change, and he shook his head.

"Keep it," Duo said, and carefully got out of the taxi. Shutting the door behind him, he took a wobbly step forward, getting his balance. Every step sent pins and needles up his legs as feeling returned, but his feet were still mostly numb. Walking through the gate, Duo let his shoulders relax into a slouch, and tucked his hands in his pockets, ducking his chin beneath the coat's collar.

Nonchalant, he told himself. Walk like you belong here. Yeah, he added, if you can walk at all. It'll be kinda obvious if you fall on your face.

It took two hundred and seventeen paces - Duo counted every single one - to get to the bottom steps. He took a deep breath and forced his knees to bend, staggering up the steps only by keeping the forward momentum. At the top, two people in blue military uniforms were leaving, and Duo slipped past them as though he belonged there. Neither seemed to notice, and he sighed as he entered the building.

The main lobby was massive, with a huge set of stairs going up one side. There was a guard desk in the middle, and Duo squared his shoulders. Making his way to the desk, he did his best to lean it against it surreptitiously. What he really wanted to was to sit down, and not get up again. Preferably to sit down in a hot bath, and not get up again until he was sure his only destination was a big, comfortable bed. Hell, he'd settled for Deathscythe's cockpit, as long as it was someplace safe and warm.

"Civilians aren't allowed past this point without escort," the guard said. "Are you here to see someone? Do you have an appointment?"

"I figured, yes, and no," Duo answered, his throat tightening. His brain shuttled through the questions, sorting them and translating without too much conscious effort, which was fine by him. He couldn't seem to get his voice above a whisper. "Mustang."

"Lieutenant Colonel Mustang?" The guard looked skeptical. "You have an appointment?"

"No," Duo retorted, starting to feel cross. "Just get him. It's about Fullmetal."

"Fullmetal?" The guard looked surprised, then frowned. After a second, he nodded, and picked up the phone, dialing rapidly. "Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, there's someone at the―" he paused, startled. "No, ma'am. It's some kid...who says he's here about Fullmetal. Yeah. A kid. About...five-feet, I guess, dressed in black..." The guard's voice dropped to a whisper and he hunched his shoulders as though to keep Duo from overhearing. "And he's filthy. I mean...just _covered_ in dirt. I see. I'll tell him."

Duo rolled his eyes. His braid wasn't that bad, even if his face probably was darker than it'd ever been, even after two months on Earth. He scrubbed at his face with his coat sleeve, a bit self-consciously. Maybe it was a bad idea to come find Mustang, since he'd lost Edward and Alphonse, but he couldn't think of a better idea, and it sounded like he was about to be turned away. He had to come up with something to get the man's attention.

"Chimera," Duo said suddenly. "Tell him, it's about chimeras."

"What?" The guard frowned, then spoke into the phone. "Sorry, ma'am. He says it's about chimeras...oh. Oh. Yes ma'am." The guard's agreement sounded forced out of him. "I'll let him know."

The man hung up, and gave Duo an irritated look.

"Warrant Officer Havoc will be down to escort you," he said. "You can wait over there."

"Yeah, sure," Duo muttered, taking a deep breath before he pushed away from the desk, heading for the low benches along the wall. The guard had pointed to a spot by the door, but Duo wasn't interested in standing around, and he didn't give a damn if the guard was worried he'd muck up the upholstery. He collapsed into the nearest seat, and suddenly wondered whether now he wouldn't be able to get back up. Yawning, he leaned his elbows on his knees, and tried to stay awake.

Footfalls snapped him out of a light doze, and he blinked, looking up at a tall man who was bending down to peer at him. Duo blinked again, and yawned. Pushing off from the sofa with his hands, he was pleased to find most of the feeling had returned to his fingers, and his legs were almost completely back in operating order. He stared up at the man, who had an unlit cigarette hanging from between his lips, and was giving Duo a bemused look. The man's blond hair stood up in a shock, falling lightly over his brow, but his blue uniform was buttoned up and neatly pressed. It made Duo feel even grungier.

"Mustang," Duo managed to croak. "Fullmetal."

"Sure thing, kid," the man said. "I'm Warrant Officer Havoc." At Duo's puzzled look, the man grinned, revealing even, white teeth. "Call me Havoc. Probably easier. You look exhausted. Hell, you look like you got dragged here by wild horses."

"Got here by train," Duo muttered, not sure what Havoc had said, but figuring he could guess. When Havoc jerked his head towards the hallway, Duo staggered forward. Havoc caught him under the elbow, and Duo took a deep breath before pulling away. "I'm okay," he said, coughing a few times. "Need to see Mustang."

"Right," Havoc said, in a dubious voice. "Follow me, then."

It was a long walk down a hallway, then down another one, and up a flight of stairs. Duo kept his hand on the railing, and didn't care whether Havoc had chosen the long way to avoid being seen with a filthy street kid. At the top of the stairs, Havoc led him down another hallway, and then to an imposing wooden door. Havoc rapped quickly with his knuckles.

"Come in," a voice called. It sounded irritable, and Duo took a steadying breath as Havoc opened the door and saluted sharply.

"Lieutenant Colonel Mustang," Havoc said. "I've brought..." He stopped, and turned to Duo. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Duo Maxwell," Duo said.

He smiled faintly, too tired to manage more than that, and turned to blink at the people standing a few feet away. The man's back was to the window, and the early morning sun was in Duo's eyes. He could make out a woman standing next to the man, and she was holding something that appeared to be a stack of files. She turned, and Duo could see her blonde hair was pinned up, making a little flip of a tail at the back of her head, but her eyes were kind, if assessing. She took the file from the man's hands, and put it on top of her stack, stepping back.

Mustang was silent as he stepped between the light and Duo, revealing he was only a little taller than the woman, with jet-black hair that fell down around his face, with sleepy dark eyes. He was also wearing the dark blue uniform, but Duo noticed a few more bars and stripes on the man's shoulders, probably indicating his higher rank. Mustang didn't move closer, however, and one white-gloved hand was raised, as if he was ready to snap his fingers.

Another alchemist, Duo thought immediately. Edward had needed to clap his hands, but this man could just snap his fingers? Duo tensed, and his fingers itched to make sure his gun was closer to hand than at the back of his jeans under a buttoned coat.

"What do you know about Fullmetal?" The man's voice was low, and smooth, but with a hidden tension. "He's not yet returned from Duiren."

"This morning," Duo replied, unable to get more than a whisper. "On the train. Left city, military people..." He struggled for the word, and shrugged, waving his hands a little. "Military building. Chimeras. Boom."

There was a stifled laugh from behind Duo, and he gave the man in front of him a tired grin. The man seemed unamused, but one eyebrow twitched, just a little.

"Well, that does sound like Fullmetal," the man said. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Mustang. What can I do for you, or are you only Fullmetal's advance guard, warning me of his imminent return?"

Duo wasn't sure what imminent meant, and the way the man said it, it sounded like it was something pretty disastrous. He shrugged, and decided to lay it all out. At this point, the worst he could get - being thrown into another cell - might be the best. At least then he might get to lay down for some uninterrupted sleep.

"No. I am not homunculus," Duo said, very carefully. He was startled at the response.

"Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, the door," Mustang snapped. "Warrant Officer Havoc, hallway. Mister Maxwell, sit _down_."

Duo vaguely recognized his name, and nodded, stumbling forward to fall onto one of the couches. There was a flurry of action around him, but Mustang remained where he was, silent for several minutes. When the man still didn't say anything, Duo leaned back and gave him a lazy grin. He was gritting his teeth underneath, fighting the urge to just fall over, but he'd be damned if he'd let this self-possessed man see even an iota of weakness if Duo had any say in the matter.

"I took train to get here," he told Mustang. His voice faded on the last word, more scratch than sound.

"You look like you were under it, instead of in it," Mustang observed.

"Yeah, I was." Duo chuckled, then coughed again. "This place is cold."

Mustang nodded to the woman, and Duo caught her response, an amused, private smile as she opened the door and spoke with the person outside. She closed the door, and the three waited. Duo wondered if this were the point when more police officers would come rushing in to drag him out. He ground his teeth, trying to suppress a yawn, and then the door was opening, the woman was walking towards him, and a cup of something dark was being put in his hands. Duo stared down at it, and sniffed it suspiciously. Glancing at Mustang's arched eyebrow, Duo sipped cautiously, then nearly dropped the cup in surprise.

"Coffee," Hawkeye explained.

"Coffee," Duo repeated, the word turning into a groan of pleasure as he drank more, feeling the hot liquid warm up places that he'd started to fear might be permanently frozen. "Yes...we have this, too, in my world. Oh..." He was about to finish the cup, then stopped, wondering if he should make it last as long as possible.

"There's plenty more," Hawkeye said, a gentle laugh hiding in her voice.

Duo grinned up at her, a wide and happy look, and finished off the drink. One glance at Mustang, though, told him he'd better get to the point. Duo sighed and rested the empty cup on his knee. "The military in the city wanted chimeras to attack people, and kill them. The military people wanted more military people to come...to protect city people from the chimeras."

"I see," Mustang said, moving to lean against his desk. "So it was from the inside?"

Duo nodded. "The alchemist made chimeras for the military people. Next, he wanted to send the chimeras to the town without taking them."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Words...sometimes they're hard." Duo rubbed his forehead. "This is not my world." He looked up to see Mustang's eyes widen, and he nearly smirked at getting the man to even marginally lose his cool. "The doctor wanted to...transpose...the chimeras. Have them kill the city people, and the military would say it was..." Duo couldn't remember the country's name, and he waved his hand vaguely, and coughed again. It still felt like someone had taken a scouring pad to his throat.

"Drachma's fault," Mustang finished for him.

"Yeah, them. Say it was them, and write for more military people. Something about..." Duo screwed up his face, trying to recall what he'd heard over the raging fire behind him and the screaming people in the streets. "You have to understand, when you're stationed to an outpost like this, the chances of promotion are next to nothing, unless you're in command of a large force that's going to see regular action. It's been ten years since we've had any skirmishes on the border." Duo made a face. "I think that's right. That's what I―" He looked up to see Mustang regarding him thoughtfully, while Hawkeye looked stunned.

"What about you?" Mustang's voice was perfectly calm. Duo was impressed, despite himself.

"When the doctor tried to transpose, I was in my own world, working on machines. There was a blue light, and then I woke up in the basement. The doctor hit me on the head and kept me. He thought I was homunculus. I'm not. I'm..." He struggled for the word, and finally shook his head. "Doctor let chimera loose to attack me, but it killed him. Then I killed chimera. Ed and Al found me." He yawned, unable to cover that time. "Sorry. I was awake all night."

"We'll find you a place to sleep. Before that, I've one more question. What was the damage?" Mustang noticed Duo's blank look, and frowned. "How much did Fullmetal destroy, this time?"

"Destroy?" Duo considered that, and shrugged. "Not much. I did most of it. Military building. Fire. Smoke. Boom. I killed..." Duo paused, reviewing the past thirty-six hours. "I killed six chimera. Edward killed seven chimera," he added, almost grumpy at the realization. Well, he told himself, at least I'm still in the lead in my own world.

He was startled when Mustang chuckled softly, shaking his head. The man nodded to Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, who opened the door and spoke softly to someone in the hallway. Havoc stepped through a minute later.

"All clear, sir," Havoc said.

"Good," Mustang replied. "If you don't mind the imposition, take this...young man down to the dorms, wash him up, and let him get some sleep. I expect Fullmetal will wander in here in about an hour or two."

"One more," Duo said, hesitant. "The military people burned the doctor's building. The...array was in the basement. And the military people took the books and papers Ed and Al had." He barely noticed Hawkeye taking the cup from his hands, too focused on Mustang. "Am I..." His throat closed, rebelling against even saying the words.

"You say Fullmetal had a chance to study the array, and figured it out?" Mustang gave him a steady look.

Duo nodded several times.

"An array is an array," Mustang said. "It can be done anywhere. And if Fullmetal saw it, he'll remember it."

. "I want Ed to get me back home," Duo whispered.

Mustang was quiet for a minute. When he spoke, his voice was gentle. "What if he can't?"

"He _will_ ," Duo said, stubbornly. "I _will_ go home...but first I need a nap."

"Of course," Mustang replied smoothly. "Thank you for coming to tell me all this, Mister Maxwell." He stepped back with a pointed look towards Havoc.

Duo looked from Mustang to Havoc, and the Warrant Officer gave him a big grin. "Come on, kid," Havoc said, opening the door. Duo turned, but at the last minute, Mustang called him back.

"Maxwell," Mustang said, walking over. He looked down at Duo, his lips pursed, and then smirked. "You're even shorter than Fullmetal."

"So?" Duo shrugged. "I get any taller, I wouldn't be able to do half the things I do." He looked Mustang up and down, a smug smile pasted across his face. "I'd like to see you spend half the night under a train. You couldn't fit."

Mustang stepped back, two fingers tapping his forehead in a casual salute. "True, true," but his amusement seemed out of proportion to Duo, who just shrugged.

Havoc grinned and draped an arm over Duo's shoulder. "Right this way, Maxwell," Havoc said. Out in the hallway, Havoc pulled away, his face red as though he was struggling to keep from laughing. Duo glanced sideways at him, a little suspicious.

"Mustang seems..." Duo couldn't think of the words.

"He seems like a lot of things," Havoc said, sobering suddenly. "But he's a good leader."

"Does Edward..." The words weren't there, through the haze of exhaustion, and Duo floundered for a second. "Like? No..."

Havoc was silent, and gave Duo a measuring look. "Are you asking whether Fullmetal trusts Mustang?" At Duo's hesitant nod, Havoc looked dubious. "Hard to say. If it helps, the rest of us do, beyond all doubt. We'd follow him anywhere. Does that help?"

"Some," Duo replied. He wasn't sure why he'd wanted to know, but somehow he felt better, knowing that Edward had a man like that backing him up. It reminded him of G, and the odd push-pull relationship they had, with Duo always pulling away while G pushed him constantly. Duo grinned, then shook his head at Havoc's raised eyebrows. Some things just couldn't be explained, even with all the words in the world.


	8. Chapter 8

Edward stretched broadly, and snapped his mouth shut with a grin. "All right, let's face the bastard," he muttered, smoothing down his black jacket and brushing off a few specks of dirt on his black jeans before pushing open the doors to the North Annex Headquarters. Alphonse made a worried sound, and Edward threw a grin over his shoulder. "I finished the report, don't worry!"

"I'll wait in the side office, then," Alphonse said. He sounded like he was trying to be cheerful, and Edward relented.

"I don't think the Lieutenant Colonel will get on my case _that_ much," Edward said confidently. "We did some good, after all."

He nodded to the front reception guard and took the steps two at a time, the report clutched in his hand. He'd not slept well on the train, restless with vague dreams of an upset Alphonse and an abandoned chimera with Duo's face. A long shower and a short nap in the dorms had restored at least his outward appearance, but his stomach churned every time he thought of the possibility that he'd let a human be mistaken for an alchemist's creation. He was doing his best not to think about it, but he couldn't put off seeing Mustang. He still wanted to head east, for the rumors he'd heard about Liore.

Edward pushed open the door to Mustang's staff office, to find Second Lieutenant Hawkeye going over papers with Sergeant-Major Farman. The tall man grinned when he saw Edward, followed closely by Alphonse.

"Hey, Elric!" Farman winked at Edward. "So what kind of trouble did you get into this time?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle," Edward replied, grinning smugly.

"Edward, Alphonse," Hawkeye greeted them. "Did you get something to eat? Havoc brought donuts this morning, if you..."

"I'm fine, thank you," Alphonse said politely, seating himself by Hawkeye's desk.

Edward was already there, poking through the box. "Are there any cream-filled?"

"I think First Lieutenant Hawkeye already ate those," Farman told Edward in a stage whisper.

Behind them, Hawkeye sniffed, and Alphonse giggled quietly.

"So is the―" Edward took another bite of a donut covered with sprinkles, his words muffled as he talked around the huge bite. "―Lieutenant Colonel in his office?"

"Yes, and he's been expecting you," Hawkeye said, dropping several files on her desk and taking a seat.

"Figures." Edward finished off the donut, and took another one, looking around. "Where's Havoc?" He didn't miss the look Hawkeye gave Farman, who shrugged.

"I think he's running errands, for the Lieutenant Colonel," Farman replied. He noticed Hawkeye's stare, and accepted the file she was holding out to him. Opening it, he continued to speak in a distracted tone. "He should probably be back in a few minutes..."

"Ah." Edward shoved the last bite into his mouth, and studied the remaining donuts. Neither of them seemed quite as appetizing, and his stomach was feeling ill again at the thought of dealing with Mustang at the same time he'd not really decided yet whether he'd done the right thing where Duo was concerned. He sighed, and carefully licked his fingers. "I guess I should go see him."

"That would be good," Hawkeye said, in a neutral tone. "Do you―"

"Right here," Edward said, waving the report in his right hand. "Okay, going now..." He stared at the office door, and wondered whether it would hurt to have one more donut.

"Go on, brother," Alphonse encouraged. "The sooner you give your report, the sooner we can leave for Liore."

"Oh, true." Edward straightened his shoulders, and gave Hawkeye a huge grin. "Thanks for the donuts!"

"Anytime, Edward," Hawkeye said, giving him a quick smile before bending her head back to her work.

"Knock 'em dead," Farman whispered.

Edward waved a hand over his shoulder, heading for the door with a confident air that faded as soon as he was out in the hallway. Yeah, I wish I could knock Mustang _something_ , he thought. Of course, the bastard would be dead and in his coffin and he'd still probably be wearing that insufferable smirk.

Squaring his shoulders, Edward put his hand on the doorknob to Mustang's office. He halted when he heard voices, faintly, through the door.

"...And clearly knows how to use it, sir." Havoc's voice was businesslike. Mustang's murmured response was too low to be heard. Havoc continued, "no, sir. I don't think it's a risk. Definitely some military background...including a knowledge of..." He paused, and Edward could hear Mustang chuckle before Havoc continued speaking. "Oh, and I talked to Miss Thompson. She said she only had twenty."

Edward opened the door in time to see Mustang taking out his wallet.

"Good," Mustang was saying. "As for Miss Thompson...here."

Edward's eyebrows shot up. Neither man reacted to his entrance, though he knew Mustang was aware of it. Hell, Edward grumbled, Mustang probably knew the split second he'd entered the building. He watched as Mustang handed several bills to Havoc, who put them in a dark green leather wallet and folded the top over. Picking up a second wallet laying on the edge of Mustang's desk, Havoc saluted Mustang and turned to see Edward standing in the open doorway.

"Hey, boss!" Havoc gave Edward a jaunty salute. "Welcome back to Central."

"Thanks," Edward replied, smiling in return. "Good to be back."

"I see you found the donuts, too." Havoc winked and surreptitiously tapped the side of his mouth as he left Mustang's office. Edward frowned, then wiped his mouth quickly with the cuff of his red jacket while Mustang put his wallet away. Edward gave the Lieutenant Colonel a curious look.

"What was that about? You handing out money, now?" Edward kicked the door closed behind him and strolled into the office.

"A minor issue, and you already have a salary, Fullmetal," Mustang said, and sat down behind his desk. "You should also have a report for me."

Edward dropped the file on the desk, then strode over to the couch and threw himself on it. He crossed his legs and leaned back, laying one arm along the back of the couch, and waited while Mustang read over the report. When he didn't hear the sound of pages being flipped through, he frowned and looked over to see Mustang watching him intently, one eyebrow raised.

"Sir?" Edward frowned deeper, and glanced pointedly at the file.

"Gain anything as pertains to your personal mission?" Mustang leaned back a little in his chair. His mouth quirked at one end but smoothed immediately. Edward shrugged nonchalantly and rested his elbow on the arm of the sofa, his cheek against his fist and stared at nothing in particular.

"Nothing useful. I wanted to head for Liore. You're the one who insisted on the side trip," Edward pointed out.

"I had _heard_ the doctor had successfully managed human transmutation," Mustang told him. "However, I take it he wasn't even close."

"He thought he did," Edward admitted, and shrugged again. "He was in cahoots with the local military commandant, creating chimeras with the―"

"―Intention of blaming their attacks on Drachma," Mustang finished for him. "A simple plan, but it could have been quite effective if not for the sudden appearance of the People's Alchemist." He said the unofficial title with no additional irony, but Edward bristled nonetheless.

"Yeah, but I stopped all of that. Wasser's being replaced, too." Edward waved one hand, dismissively. "It's all in the file. No human transmutation, only a plot to―"

"―Increase Wasser's command as a means towards promotion," Mustang said, in a musing tone. He opened the file, glancing through it, and closed it again. "Strange, there's nothing in here about Doctor Kaufkorn's success at transposition."

Edward dropped his fist from his cheek and gave Mustang a startled look. Before the other man could look up, Edward managed to cover his shock with a casual laugh. "Yeah, that's what it looks like he was trying to do. He wanted to transpose the chimeras from his basement to somewhere in the town, so he wouldn't be incriminated by being at the scene of the crime."

Mustang waved one hand dismissively. "But he decided instead he'd transpose a chimera and a dead body, at the same time."

Edward blinked, forgetting for a second that he meant to frown, instead.

"So tell me," Mustang prompted him. "After we spoke on the phone..."

"I went to the military headquarters to file the paperwork for shipping the chimeras," Edward said, settling back down, just a touch annoyed. "When we got back to the Doctor's house―"

"Yes, yes." Mustang waved his hand again. "The chimeras were gone, except for seven that were out of their cages."

Edward contemplated someday cutting that hand off. He glowered, but continued his report. "We fought the chimeras and ended up killing all of them, at which point Second Lieutenant Holt showed up and insisted we stay at the Officer's Quarters instead. I didn't want to leave everything behind, so―"

"You packed it all in Alphonse and smuggled it out of the house that way," Mustang finished for him. "And?"

Edward's metal hand tightened on the couch cushion, as he struggled to keep his growing irritation in check. "We spent some time studying the Doctor's notes, and deconstructed the array to determine it was a transposition based on―"

"Prokov's Thesis," Mustang said. He leaned back in his chair, twisting it to stare out the window, his hands clasped across his lap. Edward was silent, gritting his teeth, and Mustang waited for several seconds before turning to give Edward a bemused look. "Well?"

"The base array is similar to Hosten's style," Edward said. "Comparing them and what we'd read of the Doctor's notes, that's when―"

"You got the bright idea to break into the military headquarters and see if you could find any proof on Wasser's end."

Edward fumed silently. "Yes, sir," he finally ground out.

"It _is_ curious," Mustang pondered, "that that very night, the doctor's house burned down, along with all his research."

"Yes, sir―" Edward did his best to give Mustang a blasé look. "―but we managed to save some of the more important files and papers―"

"―Which were, according to rumor, accidentally thrown away by a janitor while you were bombing the military headquarters into a pile of rubble."

"Hey..." Edward gaped, noticed Mustang's smirk, and shut his mouth with a glare. "I didn't―"

"Oh?" Mustang swung his chair around to rest his elbows on his desk, fixing Edward with a mildly bemused look. "You're innocent? This is a new one."

"I didn't say that, sir!"

"Don't tell me _you_ accepted _help_." Mustang leaned forward, his hands clasped under his chin. His expression was impassive, but his lips were doing that telltale twitch that indicated a full-blown smirk was about to start any second. "Unusual. You never do, unless it's to get something off the top shelf in the library―"

Edward was on his feet in an instant. "Who the HELL are you calling so SHORT you need―"

"Fullmetal!" Mustang's voice was a command. "Sit down!"

Edward collapsed back on the couch, scowling, and crossed his arms.

"I'm sure Alphonse was a significant part of this venture, as always," Mustang continued, unruffled, with no signs of his sharp response. "Despite the fact that you were probably the ringleader, as usual."

"I..." Edward glared for another two seconds, just on matter of principle, and sunk down a little on the couch. "Bombing the entire building was not my idea."

"So you just wanted bombs in a few places, then?" Mustang tilted his head, looking amused.

"No, just a few as distraction, although I found out afterwards that―" Edward shut his mouth, biting back the rest of his words.

"Someone had placed several around the chimeras' holding cell in the basement?"

"Uh...something like that." Edward frowned, trying to cover his aggravation. How the hell did Mustang know that detail already? "The chimeras got out, and―"

"You then had to slaughter the last of them when they attacked you." Mustang's expression never altered from its implacable assessment as Edward stared at him, wide-eyed. "And right on the steps of the building in front of the military installation's commandant and most of the townsfolk, too. Very flashy, Fullmetal."

"I..."

"But I'm sure with all the time you had to study the doctor's research, you'll be able to duplicate his alchemy."

"I..."

"And possibly enumerate his processes for mixing canine and aviary strains into an attack chimera."

"I..." Edward realized he hadn't taken a breath in several seconds and nearly choked, then irritation got the better of him. He sat up straight, slamming his booted feet down on the floor as he leaned across the couch arm to yell at Mustang. "Why should I bother spending all that time writing a report for you when you KNOW IT ALREADY!"

"Simmer down, Fullmetal." Mustang didn't even flinch at Edward's yell.

Edward deflated. "Yes, sir," came the reluctant reply. Outside the office, he could hear running feet and a door slammed down the hallway, but Mustang didn't react. Edward slunk down farther in the couch, crossing his arms, and didn't bother to look at the Lieutenant Colonel. He was quite certain the man's smirk had gone past the annoying level and into downright unbearable. The man is insufferable, Edward grumbled silently.

"There have been skirmishes on our southern borders for the past two years," Mustang said conversationally, his smirk completely gone. He got up from his chair and walked around it to lean against the desk as he stared down at Edward. "The last thing we need is to divert troops to the Briggs Mountains to protect a town that isn't under attack. So while I'm sure that there will be those who will be upset at the loss of the doctor's research, I have faith you can placate them by reproducing his notes on the process."

Edward's eyes narrowed, and he grumbled under his breath, only somewhat mollified by the implied praise.

"Now, then, Fullmetal, there's one more thing we need to―"

"Sir!" The door burst open, and Hawkeye came rushing through, her eyes worried. Mustang looked up, confused, to see Hawkeye stepping out of the way and saluting as a man stepped through the door.

"Major General Tanaka," Mustang said, immediately standing up and saluting the man. His eyes were narrowed, however, and he didn't look pleased.

Edward caught the flash of Mustang's displeasure and came to his feet, uncertain. His eyes widened when he saw the two officers attending Tanaka. One of them was a man with silvery-blond hair and the insignia of a First Lieutenant; the other was Major Selwyn. The Major's eyes flicked towards Edward for a split-second. Hawkeye shut the door behind the men, but remained in the room, her gaze watchful.

"I understand you're the commanding officer for the Fullmetal Alchemist," the Major General barked. He was an imposing man, if not much taller than Mustang. His wide chest and deep voice made him seem like he was hollering from the depths of a barrel that just happened to be dressed like a high-ranking officer in the military, with various medallions and insignias decorating his chest. His salt-and-pepper hair was cropped close to his skull, and his small black mustache was nearly as spiky. He glanced at Edward, clearly dismissing him, and looked at Mustang again. "I need to speak with Fullmetal. Now."

Edward didn't say anything, and didn't move.

"May I ask why?" Mustang's voice was steady, as though Tanaka's request was nothing out of the ordinary. "He's only just returned from―"

"We believe he's harboring an alchemical project which falls under my jurisdiction," Tanaka said gruffly. "Doctor Kaufkorn was under contract, and as such, his findings are our responsibility. After Kaufkorn's...unfortunate demise, we have the right to his research and all results therefrom."

Mustang nodded. "Understood. But Fullmetal returned here with nothing more than what he'd taken into Duiren," he said.

Edward resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yet another piece of information that Mustang had that Edward wasn't sure how Mustang obtained. The only thing he was pretty certain about was that Mustang still didn't know about Duo, but the Major General's appearance had interrupted the report before Edward could have the pleasure of seeing Mustang be shocked into silence. Edward scowled internally. He'd rather been looking forward to it, although it'd taken him a bit to realize Mustang wasn't aware of Duo's role. It would have been a wonderful experience, Edward thought, and stifled a forlorn sigh. The Major General's voice snapped him out of his momentary daydream.

"We have reason to believe the doctor successfully created a homunculus, and a vicious one, at that," Tanaka said, his voice dropping to a low register. His smile may have been meant to disarm, but the gravelly voice made the look more threatening than congenial. "Fullmetal was with this homunculus from its discovery until it was taken into custody, at which point it disappeared from the civilian police station."

"That sounds like it's something you should take up with the police, not my staff," Mustang replied in a reasonable tone. There was the faintest edge of boredom in Mustang's attitude, and Edward wasn't sure why. His curiosity was piqued, but at the same time, he was somewhat annoyed. Mustang didn't even seem remotely surprised at the Major General's words.

"The police station was attacked in the same manner as the military headquarters," Tanaka answered. "Which leads us to believe that Fullmetal followed the escorting officers to the police station, broke the homunculus out of the holding cell, and brought it to Central."

"Did you?" Mustang's stare was bored, but one eyebrow was arched.

Edward gulped, as everyone in the room turned to look at him, but the heartbeat passed and he gave Mustang a respectful shake of his head. "No, sir. I left the military headquarters with my brother, going straight to the train station, and remained there until the four-thirty train arrived, at which point we left Duiren." He kept his face perfectly straight, although tempted to sneer at Tanaka's frustrated growl. "And the only thing we carried out was what we had with us when we arrived," he added.

"Smoke bombs are not Fullmetal's style," Mustang said to Tanaka, as though it should have been obvious. "Alchemy, not chemistry."

Edward twitched.

"Then the homunculus must have followed him here," Tanaka said. "The doctor's results are of significant military import. I'm assigning Major Selwyn to accompany Fullmetal at all times―" Mustang opened his mouth to protest, but the Major General held up a hand. "―until we can either locate the homunculus or determine that Fullmetal is innocent of theft."

"It's not a homunculus," Mustang said, and a thin line appeared between his brows, as though mildly annoyed. "It - _he_ \- is a human boy."

Edward barely managed to keep his mouth from falling open in shock. What? His mind screamed. What the hell? How the hell does _Mustang_ know that? He thought his expression was neutral, but Mustang's eyes cut towards him and back again, the merest glance, and Edward swallowed hard. He knew a warning when he saw one. He wasn't sure how Mustang knew of Duo, but obviously Mustang had decided to protect the boy, too. Edward wondered if everyone in the room could hear his pounding heart as he waited for the Major General's response.

"It was created in the doctor's basement," Tanaka replied. "I've read the reports from the doctor, detailing his discovery."

"He transposed, not transmuted," Mustang answered. "In fact, the boy he transposed, from Fullmetal's report to me, appears to be a beginner alchemist from Xing."

"He's..." Tanaka's jaw dropped, and he caught himself, his brows coming together. "That's ridiculous!"

"It's not entirely out of the realm of possibility for an alchemist," Mustang replied. He crossed his arms, his right hand resting lightly on his upper arm so the alchemical array on the back of his white glove could be clearly seen. "I've never heard of arrays crossing, but stranger things have happened. While the boy doesn't speak our language, he and Fullmetal were able to communicate on a rudimentary level. It's possible that the boy may have gotten out of the police station by himself, and headed east, for Xing."

"It's a two-month journey across the desert," Tanaka protested. "That's suicide."

"We have no quarrel with Xing at this time," Mustang replied. "The boy―"

"―Should still be found and interrogated, and then _I'll_ determine whether we should return him," Tanaka said, cutting Mustang off with an angry gesture. "Even if it's not a homunculus, the knowledge from the doctor's project should be studied thoroughly. It could have significant military use. We need to find that boy!"

"Fullmetal here had a chance to study the array," Mustang said, nodding to Edward. "I'm sure he'd be more than willing to reproduce the doctor's notes from memory, and you can pass them along to your scientific staff. A beginner alchemist, on the other hand, would probably not be able to assist much in comparison."

Tanaka grunted, then turned to the second officer and nodded. The man saluted sharply, clicking his heels together as he did so, and left the room without a word. "I see," Tanaka said, quietly, and somehow that was more worrisome to Edward than the man's previous blustering. Tanaka gave Edward a level stare. "In the meantime, Major Selwyn will remain with Fullmetal until we've located this boy, just to make sure."

"I don't―" Mustang started to speak.

"Are you contradicting orders from a superior officer?"

"No, sir," Mustang answered. His tone was respectful, but his hand tightened on his forearm. "Fullmetal, you heard. I suggest you work in the main library, and I will send someone for you if I need you."

That's odd, Edward thought. Mustang never sends anyone for me. It's not like I'd come, anyway, he added, but couldn't find it amusing in the light of Mustang's odd comment. "Yes, sir," he finally said, realizing the three men were waiting for his response. "Wait, sir, main library? I should go to the East―"

"Central Branch," Mustang said. "Major Selwyn won't be allowed in the East Branch." He glanced pointedly at the chain hanging from Edward's belt, and then at Selwyn, who frowned. The implication was clear: Selwyn, a non-alchemist, was limiting Edward's movements and thus potentially hampering Edward's chances of successfully producing results.

"You'll just have to make do." Tanaka looked at Selwyn, who saluted, and then at Mustang, who did the same. "Good day, gentlemen. I'll be notifying you immediately the minute we find that homunculus, or boy, or whatever it is, Lieutenant Colonel Mustang. In the meantime..." He glanced at Edward, who raised his chin just a bit and stared the man down.

I'm not military, Edward thought. And one smug bastard is enough in my life, thanks.

Tanaka just grunted again, and strode from the office. There was silence in the room for several seconds, and Mustang turned to give Edward a thoughtful look.

"Go on, Fullmetal. Get to work on those documents."

"Yes, sir." Edward gave Mustang a short bow, and left the room, Selwyn in his wake. The only good thing, he decided, was that so far Selwyn hadn't said a word to him. Maybe Ed would get lucky, and it'd stay that way.

 

 

 

Edward stared at the papers, flexing his left hand several times before picking up the pen again. He was halfway through a general summary of the doctor's theories and conclusions, based on what he'd read of the man's notes, but he wasn't sure about some details. He'd not spent a great deal of time focusing on the process the doctor had used for the chimeras, since that hadn't been as important to him as the question of the array in the basement, with its six secondary elements. Ed exhaled noisily, blowing his bangs out of his face, and leaned his cheek on his right hand. Selwyn was across the table from him, turned sideways in the chair to read a book in his lap. At least he wasn't staring at Edward anymore; apparently after two hours of working, Selwyn had figured out that Ed wasn't going anywhere. Edward made a face at the unaware Selwyn, and turned to stare out the tall window near the table.

It was mid-afternoon, and he could see several people talking in the courtyard in front of the Central Library. Several women in dress blues were chatting and laughing with someone else, and Edward scowled, reminded of Lieutenant Colonel Mustang. The guy was reputedly a complete womanizer...and then Ed nearly shoved his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing. One of the women had stepped out of the way, revealing Mustang was standing there, his long black coat over his uniform.

Strange, Edward thought. Hawkeye rarely lets Mustang out of the office during the day unless it's for business. There's no way...

He realized, after a few seconds' delay, that Mustang's left hand wasn't in his pocket, but hanging down at his side, making some odd gestures as though...Edward's eyes widened.

Okay, now I'm really going to smash his face in, _someday_ , Edward promised himself. The bastard has met Duo, and he's got to know where he is! Those were Duo's hand signals. They looked a little different, but Edward wasn't sure he could reproduce them exactly either, having only seen them twice, and each time Duo's hands had moved so quickly. Then Mustang turned as one of the women said something, and he laughed, but his eyes were on the Central Library. Ed sat bolt upright with the distinct impression Mustang had just seen him. Edward glanced towards Selwyn, but the man appeared to be oblivious. Looking back outside, from the corner of his eyes, Ed watched as Mustang bowed to the two women and headed towards the East Library.

So that's the deal, Edward told himself. _You go in the front, and I'll go around back._ He grinned to himself, waiting until he saw Mustang disappear into the National Alchemists' private branch, and set down his pen.

"I have to go find Dustin's report on Angular Geometry in Transmutation," Edward announced.

"I can't go in the East Branch," Selwyn replied. "You'll just have to make do."

"And tell the Major General that I couldn't complete it because I wasn't able to confirm my information?" Edward stood up, and pulled on his red coat. "You can escort me to the door, and wait outside. There aren't any back exits I can use. I'm just going to get the book, check Dustin's research against Kaufkorn's, and then I'll be back."

Selwyn looked suspicious, and carefully set his book down. Edward collected his papers and stacked them neatly, folding them up and shoving them in the interior pocket of his coat.

"Ten minutes," Selwyn replied. "A second longer, and I'm informing Major General Tanaka―"

"Right, right," Edward said, already walking off. "Inform the damn national press for all I care. I just want to make sure what I'm reporting is accurate."

To his relief, Selwyn didn't protest, but followed as Edward strode from the library, waving to the librarian as he passed. The two were silent as they crossed the main courtyard to the East Branch, pausing at the top of the steps. Edward put his hand on the door, and Selwyn stepped in the way.

"Ten minutes," the Major repeated.

"I've got a watch," Edward said, both as response and a subtle reference to his status as a National Alchemist. He waited until Selwyn moved, and yanked the door open, striding into the cool darkness with a sigh of relief. Now, he just had to find Mustang.

It took him a few minutes to determine Mustang wasn't on the first floor, and Edward pounded up the stairs towards the mezzanine, feeling the seconds tick away. Go around back, his mind whispered to him, and he grinned to himself, heading for the back corner of the second floor. There, in a small cubicle tucked away behind dusty racks of books, was the Lieutenant Colonel.

"Fullmetal," Mustang said, quietly. "Can you reproduce the array?"

"What?" That wasn't quite what Edward was expecting. "What about Duo―"

"He's fine," Mustang said, a small smile playing around the corner of his mouth. "We're keeping him occupied and out of sight."

Edward nodded, relaxing suddenly, and gave Mustang a hesitant smile of his own, before returning to Mustang's original comments.

"I can reproduce the array, but what about―"

"I don't mean inadequately to mislead," Mustang replied. His voice was low, his eyes darting past Edward to watch the empty aisles. "I mean perfectly."

Edward nodded, his eyes wide.

"How long?" Mustang gave him a sharp look, and Edward frowned, considering it.

"Three hours, maybe four. Less if I had Al to he―"

"There's no way they'll let him in the building," Mustang interrupted. "Just you...and your shadow, of course. Third laboratory, fourth floor, room D. I've reserved it in your name. No need to check in."

"Reserved―" Edward shook his head, confused. "But I―"

"Fullmetal. Build the array, and make sure it's complete. You have until six this evening."

"What happens at six?"

"Inspection," Mustang said. "Now, go. You don't have a lot of time."

"Yes, sir," Edward said. He opened his mouth to say something else, couldn't think of anything, and simply bowed politely. Then he turned on his heel and headed for the stairs. He was halfway down them before he thought to check his watch, and the realization made him jump the last few steps and run from the library. One minute before Selwyn's deadline, and only two hours to complete a massive array, all by himself.

Smug bastard, Edward thought, nodding curtly to Selwyn. Just as quickly, though, he felt a flash of worry. Damn. He sure hoped the Lieutenant Colonel knew what what he was doing...


	9. Chapter 9

Duo stripped quickly, stepping under the hot shower with a blissful smile.

It was too bad he couldn't take all this water back with him to L2. He grabbed the shampoo Havoc had loaned him, and sniffed it carefully. It didn't smell nearly as fruity as the stuff at the doctor's house, and Duo quickly lathered his hair, sighing as the hot water rinsed a train ride's grime from his body.

Twenty minutes later he was dressed in the clothes Havoc had found for him, and was brushing and braiding his hair by the dorm's mirror. The place was empty, but Duo kept his back to the wall, and his ears trained for the sounds of footsteps. Duo had to grin, remembering Havoc's reaction when Duo pulled out his gun. It wasn't like Havoc wasn't already carrying a piece of his own, but Duo wondered for a second if the man had never seen a gun before, given his reaction. It was only once Duo had ejected the round, popped out the magazine, and dismantled the gun completely, that Havoc had calmed down. The gun was now wrapped in a dry towel, hidden in the bundle of wet towels. Duo rolled up the legs of the sweats, and realized they weren't possibly Havoc's. The sweatshirt was a little large, but nothing that swamped him completely.

In the dormitory hallways, he checked to make sure the place was empty before trotting back to the room. Sleep was creeping up on him, and he wondered if he'd get to use one of those two bunks. He pushed the door open, to find Havoc had returned.

"Brought you some breakfast," Havoc said, holding out a box of donuts. "Don't know if you've ever had these―"

Duo took one, sniffing it suspiciously before sneezing from the powdered sugar. "Smells good," Duo said, but waited until Havoc grabbed one and began eating. Duo finished off the one in his hand in nothing flat, dropping the towels on the lower bunk as he reached for another donut.

"The wallets," Havoc said. When Duo looked confused, Havoc held one up. "These aren't yours."

"Nope," Duo replied, grinning around his third donut. "I needed...money...to get from train station to military building."

"Hm," Havoc said, eyeing the wallets. "Well, I'll see if I can find the people and return their wallets. Can't be helped, now, I suppose." He took another donut and leaned back in the chair, stretching his legs out in front of him. "So...why do you have a gun?"

"I fight," Duo said. He watched Havoc for a second, his eyes narrowed, as he assessed the man. Obviously military, but Duo wasn't getting the same feeling from Havoc that he got dealing with Oz officers. As a matter of fact, he thought, Havoc felt more like Howard. The thought made Duo a little homesick, but more comfortable at the same time. "In my world, the military is bad."

Havoc face was serious, and he nodded once, a curt move. All pretense of jest was gone.

"Five of us," Duo continued. "We fight to free the..." He wondered how to explain the colonies, when this world still had combustion engines in its cars and steam engines on its trains. "We fight to free the far-away places." He glanced up and Havoc nodded again, understanding the intent if not the actual circumstances. "It's not easy," Duo admitted. "We fight on our own, lots. But sometimes together, too...military has some useful things. We take their guns, their weapons..." He grinned, and decided to test a theory. He flashed a quick series of hand signals at Havoc, who laughed. Duo grinned and grabbed another donut.

Havoc's right hand flashed through a set of similar signals. Two fingers pointing down, followed by a flat hand, palm-down then up, and two more quickly fingers pointing in both directions, then a single finger upward. "Every world must have a need for silence," Havoc observed.

Duo nodded, and took the last donut when Havoc pushed the box towards him. "Are...Edward and Alphonse okay?"

"I don't know," Havoc said. "I'm sure they'll arrive, with Ed in a fine temper and Al being worried that they're late." He opened a pack of cigarettes, and stuck one in his mouth, but didn't light it. "It's the way it usually works."

"Yeah, I guess," Duo said, and yawned around the last bite of his donut. "Sorry."

"No problem," Havoc told him, standing. "You get some sleep. This is Fury's room. If a short guy with glasses shows up, don't worry. He knows you're here. Think a few hours of sleep will be enough?"

"Three, four?" Duo pushed the towels to the end of the bed and stretched out, licking his fingers of the last of the sugar.

"Okay. I don't know what the Lieutenant Colonel is planning, but one of us will let you know as soon as we find out." Havoc opened the door, checking the hallway. "And don't open the door unless you hear this." He tapped lightly on the door, three short taps, a pause, and two short taps. "Got that?"

"Three, stop, two."

"Good." Havoc picked up the bundle of Duo's clothes. "I know a girl who will get these cleaned for you, and one of us will drop them off when they're done. Sleep well, kid." He Duo a cocky salute and grinned, and was out the door.

There was a click as he locked it behind him, and Duo sighed. Digging through the towels for his gun, he slipped it under the pillow and laid back down. He wanted to go home. He yawned, and was asleep immediately.

 

 

 

Duo woke up when he heard a tapping. He watched as a young man entered, but didn't move, his hand on the gun under his pillow. The man's hair was black, and tousled, and his face was wide and childish. He waved with a few fingers in a way that reminded Duo of Quatre, and put Duo's clean clothes on the chair by the bed. Without another word, the young man slipped from the room, locking the door behind him again. Duo rolled over on his side, staring at the clothes, then sat up with a start. Something looked different...

Grabbing the priest's shirt, he unfurled it, surprised to find the holes under the armpits had been neatly patched, and the rips along the side were darned so skillfully there was hardly any sign of damage. Duo whistled under his breath, astonished at the kindness, and pulled off the borrowed clothes, putting on his own shirt and jeans with a happy grin. Slipping the socks on, he noticed the hole in the left toe was gone, and he wriggled his toes cheerfully before putting on his boots. His stomach was growling again, and that was reason enough to get out and investigate.

He pulled on his coat and stuck his head out the door, checking the hallway before stepping out. It took only a few seconds with his number-seven lock pick and the soft click told him the door was locked. Satisfied, he slipped the lock pick back into his braid, tucked his braid under his coat, and strolled down the wide dormitory hallway like he belonged.

Heading out the front door, he waved to the girl at the front desk, who blinked at him, but Duo didn't stop to chat. Out in the sunshine, he glanced up at the sky and wondered what time it was. He was pretty sure several hours had passed, but the whole idea of telling the time by the sun was Quatre's area of expertise, not his. Duo grinned to himself and shoved his hands in his pockets, trotting down the walkway between the dormitory and the main Annex building.

At the back door, Duo glanced around, surprised to see bushes and trees were cloaking the entrance, but he could only grin. If this world was full of idiots with no sense of secure premises, which suited him just fine. Even if, he thought smugly, it was almost as though they'd taken lessons from Oz. Duo jiggled the lock with the pick, and when it clicked, he slipped inside with a quiet laugh.

Jogging up the back stairs, he poked his head through the second-floor door. Mustang's office was somewhere at the other end of the floor, from what he recalled of the roundabout path Havoc had used. Trotting down the hallway, he was surprised to find himself on a balcony overlooking the main entrance. Duo fiddled with his empty pockets, almost embarrassed that he didn't have anything suitable to drop on that bastard guard's head. Voices wafted up to him, and he leaned over the railing, curious. One look made him pull back in shock, and he took off down the corridor, heading for Mustang's office.

It was Selwyn, with four other men.

Duo cursed under his breath. The men had been heading for the stairs, which meant they'd soon be on the second floor. He was cut off, unless he found a good window and went the short way to the ground. In broad daylight, however, his black clothing would make him stand out, not blend in, and he skidded across the tile floor as he took the corner sharply. Up ahead, a woman was stepping out of an office, folders in her hand. He recognized her, and racked his brains for her name.

"Second, uh...Hawkeye!" He came to a halt in front of her.

"Duo Maxwell?" She glanced past him, to the empty hallway, puzzled. "Shouldn't―"

"Selwyn, from...that town, is back there, with four more people," Duo said, panting a little. "The one who took me before."

Hawkeye nodded sharply. "Come on," she said, turning and heading down the hallway in the direction they'd come. Duo gaped, then took off after her. At the door just before the corner, she halted, throwing the door open and letting Duo go in ahead of her. "Fury, Havoc," she said, and shut the door behind Duo. Her footsteps retreated down the hallway at a fast clip.

Duo grinned at Havoc, his grin growing wider when he saw Alphonse. "Selwyn," he explained. "He's―"

"Major Selwyn?" Alphonse came to his feet. "Oh, this is bad. Warrant Officer Furman, we have to hide Duo―"

"The storage closet?" Fury, the young man with dark hair and glasses, looked at the door. Heavy footsteps were coming down the hallway. Duo cocked his head, listening.

"Five men," Duo said. "Where do I go?" He saw the window and headed for it, trying the latches, but they were stuck. Grunting, he shoved at them, until someone yanked him backwards. He spun, and yelped as he was shoved headfirst - right into the empty chest cavity of Alphonse's suit of armor. "Wait―"

"Hush," Alphonse whispered. "Just be very―"

Duo could hear the office door opening. There was the rustling and scraping sounds of chairs moving, probably from people standing up and saluting, he thought. His face was pressed against his knees, and his coat was bunched up around his waist. His right foot was tucked under him, and his left foot seemed to be lodged in Alphonse's armpit. He was tightly wedged in the space, but as Alphonse shifted, Duo could feel his coat sliding against the metal, and he slid down in the suit. It wedged him even farther, with one hand trapped between his knees and the other tucked under him. He gritted his teeth, and pressed his face to his knees, muffling his breathing with the coat's fabric.

"Ah, no, sir," Alphonse was saying. "I'm not the Fullmetal Alchemist. My older brother is."

Duo rolled his eyes.

"He's with Mustang," one of the other men's voices said.

It was hard to hear through the metal, and Duo strained to identify the voice. It sounded a little like Havoc, but he wasn't sure. There was a discussion going on, but the voices were too far away or too quiet for Duo to pick out the sounds. Alphonse settled down, the metal clanking, and Duo relaxed a little as the change in the armor's position supported him more than when Alphonse had been standing up. Duo grunted, trying to free his left arm, and Alphonse coughed softly.

"No, sir," Alphonse said then. "I'm just waiting for my brother."

It was at least a good ten long minutes before there was any noise again, and Duo marveled at Alphonse's patience. He, on the other hand, couldn't feel a damn thing in his right leg, and his left leg was cramping so badly he was ready to start clawing at something. That is, he'd claw, he decided, if he could feel anything in his left arm, and if his right arm wasn't twitching to get at the itch behind his ear. Then his nose started itching, too, but at least that he could relieve by rubbing his face against his knee. He sighed, and tried to ignore it. After several minutes, he realized he hadn't successfully ignored anything; instead, he'd just managed to cut off enough circulation that he simply couldn't feel most of his body. Duo decided he now could relate to pretzels.

"Alphonse!"

A new voice had spoken, and Duo tensed, listening closely. Alphonse shifted, and Duo braced himself against the interior of the suit as Alphonse came to his feet.

"Captain Hughes!" Alphonse's voice was excited, but a little anxious.

"Where's your brother? Look, I have pictures of Alicia," Hughes drawled, and Alphonse made some strange little sounds. "See? It's her new dollhouse. And this is her dump truck! She's moving the furniture around...isn't that brilliant?"

Duo frowned, wondering who the man was. He sounded like a complete ninny.

"Captain Hughes, sorry to intrude," Havoc said. "The Lieutenant Colonel wanted me to inform Alphonse that his brother will be under escort while he produces a report on the Doctor's research―"

"Escort?" Alphonse sounded worried, his voice going up a little in pitch. "Is my brother―"

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Alphonse," Havoc assured him. "Perhaps it'd be best if you spent the afternoon keeping yourself occupied..."

"I have the afternoon free," Hughes said, and his voice sounded like he was grinning. Duo ground his teeth and wondered why Alphonse seemed to be shrinking backwards, away from the voice. Then again, Duo wasn't sure he could blame Alphonse. "Come on, we'll go see Alicia!"

The next thing Duo knew, his teeth were knocked against each other as Alphonse's every step jarred him from tailbone to skull. Grunting, he braced himself against the insides of the suit of armor, and held on tightly. There wasn't much to hold onto. He wondered if he'd end up with a nosebleed - or worse, a broken nose - from having his knee slamming up against his nose with every step.

Noises outside seemed to echo, and Duo figured they had entered the main lobby. He grunted with each step, feeling himself fall farther down into the suit of armor. The doors slammed behind them, and Duo began counting the steps back to the main gate. He wondered what the risks were if he just started screaming to get out. The only bright spot in the entire experience, as far as Duo could tell, was that at least he wasn't claustrophobic. Enough hours stuck in Deathscythe's cockpit had taught him that space is purely mental, but then again, he'd never had his arm trapped between his knees while his left leg stuck straight up, either.

Mustang couldn't fit in this, either, Duo thought, but it wasn't much consolation.

At the two-hundredth and third step, Alphonse bent over, then sat down. Duo blinked, then realized they were now in a car, heading somewhere. His butt was now against the bottom of the suit of armor, and he relaxed. That is, until the car went over a bump and he knocked his head against the armor's front chest covering.

"Alphonse?" Hughes sounded confused.

"Ah, it's nothing, sir," Alphonse said.

"Driver, take it easy on these roads," Hughes ordered, a little louder.

A few turns, a few quick swerves to miss what Duo guessed might be worse bumps, and he could only bite back groans as he was knocked about. Then the car rolled to a stop, Alphonse got out, and Duo began wondering again about whether his nose would survive being squished up against his knees.

"Gracia! Alicia! Look who I brought home!" Hughes' voice was loud, and Duo could hear a door shutting behind them. A little girl was shouting something, off at a distance, and Duo took a deep breath, bracing himself for more of the same rattling and bumping. He was startled when something tapped on the suit of armor. Three soft taps, a pause, and two more. "Hey, you in there," Hughes said, in a friendly voice. "You want to come out and use your own legs for a bit?"

 

 

 

Duo stretched his legs out, leaning back into the sofa as he blew on the hot chocolate a few more times before taking another sip. The first sip had burnt his tongue, but the taste was worth the pain. He sighed, sipping slowly, and studied the man across from him. Outside, Alphonse was playing with Alicia, raking autumn leaves into a pile. Gracia was in the kitchen, but appeared again with a plate of cookies.

"If you're anything like Edward," she told Duo, "you're probably hungry."

"Ah, I'm nothing like him," Duo said, and took one of the cookies with a grin. "He's short."

Hughes nearly spit out his drink, and leaned over, slapping his knee as he laughed. Duo winked at Gracia, who looked startled, then smiled back as she left the room. Duo watched her go, munching on his cookie, then turned to see Hughes perfectly serious, and watching him carefully. Duo returned the look, his amusement melting into a somber expression as he waited.

"Mustang's got General Tanaka breathing down his neck," Hughes announced. "Tanaka is Major Selwyn's commanding officer. We're lucky; they didn't see reason to follow the Fullmetal Alchemist's brother around, too."

"Are you sure?" Duo gave the man a sharp look.

Hughes' green eyes narrowed, and he nodded. For a second, he looked a great deal like Trowa - the same cool, calculated expression. "Absolutely certain. But I'd recommend you stay away from the windows, regardless. I'm not sure what Mustang's planning, but you're welcome to stay here until we hear from him."

"You're not going to ask me who I am, or what I'm doing here?"

"No need, unless you want to tell the story again." Hughes snatched a cookie and leaned back, a blissful smile on his face. "Ah, my wife makes the best cookies. Isn't she amazing? And beautiful..."

Duo nodded, staring down at the cookie, suddenly not feeling quite so hungry. There were flowers on the table, and they reminded Duo of the flowers he'd gotten in the desert, when he and Quatre had fled after Heero self-destructed. He set the half-eaten cookie down on the plate, and cradled both hands around the mug. Distantly he was aware Hughes had stopped speaking, and he shook himself from his melancholy long enough to give Hughes a bright smile.

"Sorry, just..." Duo shrugged. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Homesick?" Hughes glanced at the cookie, then at Duo.

"Yeah." Duo blew on his hot chocolate some more, just for something to do. "I don't like sitting here, with nothing to do."

"Then we'll get Alicia and Alphonse back inside," Hughes declared. "We can all draw pictures. Wait until you see what an amazing artist my daughter is! She doesn't need to draw within the lines, and such a sense of color!"

Duo couldn't help but grin, and followed Hughes into the kitchen.

 

 

 

It was nearing dusk when the knock came at the front door. The sound was a sharp, hard rapping, and Hughes lifted Alicia off his lap, setting her down with an absent pat on her shoulder and a shushing sound. Hughes pointed to the kitchen, and Gracia nodded, beckoning to Duo, who grabbed his coat and followed. Alphonse remained by Alicia. The kitchen door swung closed behind Duo, and he immediately shoved his arms into the coat sleeves as Gracia grabbed a piece of paper and began scribbling.

"I can't read your words," Duo whispered as quietly as possible. He could hear a deep voice speaking, followed by Hughes' lazy voice, then Alphonse's higher-pitched tone.

"No words," Gracia said with a smile, finishing the last stroke and shoving the paper towards him. "Go out the back, and through the back gate. Go right..." She pointed. "And at the street, go left. You understand?"

"Where am I heading?"

"Someplace safe, I hope. Watch yourself, and be careful."

Gracia bent down, hugging Duo quickly. He was startled, and then hugged her back with a sigh. She smelled like roses and mint, and he exhaled deeply, not wanting to let go, suddenly. But then he was being released, and pushed towards the back door. He put the paper in his pocket and ducked around the side of the house, hugging the early evening shadows under the bushes. He'd just latched the gate when he heard Gracia explaining to someone that she was bringing in her daughter's toys. Duo took off down the back alley between the city houses, keeping to the grassy edge where his footfalls would be padded. At the street, he glanced both ways, and took off, pulling the map out and checking it as he ran.

Two blocks, then right. The map was rudimentary, but it had crosshatches for intersections, and arrows pointing when to turn. Another block, and make a left. He wondered what the little squiggly lines were, and chuckled as he saw the footbridge up ahead. Over the bridge, another two blocks, and another right. Duo scanned the paper as he ran, noting the picture of the building with the arrow curving around it. He hoped that meant he should go around to the back, and he glanced up to see an apartment building, four stories high, halfway down the block. Checking the paper, he noted the arrow pointing at the fourth floor. Next to the arrow was a little circle, with a triangle in it. Duo squinted at the shape, not sure of the details between running while reading and the half-light of the streetlamps kicking in.

Panting, he halted in the alleyway, trying to get his breath as he stared up at the building. Shoving the paper in his pocket, he looked around, wondering how he could get up on the fourth floor. Glancing out at the street, he saw a car pull up, and he slunk back in the shadows as three men got out. One was speaking in an insistent tone, and then paused. The silence was filled with a low murmur that Duo couldn't make out, but it wasn't truly dark enough yet for him to risk poking his head out to look. Duo slipped farther down the alleyway to check behind the building.

The back of the building was like any city building on L2, with trashcans lined up along the wall, and two cars parked in the backspaces. There was a gutter pipe running up the corner of the building, and Duo assessed the possibilities, noting the windows within an arm's reach of the drainpipe. Rubbing his hands together, he tested the weight on the pipe, grabbed a hold, and began hoisting himself upwards.

He was at the second floor when he heard footsteps below, and froze. Looking down, he could see a man in military uniform coming around the corner. The man paced back and forth, before settling down on the back steps and lighting a cigarette. The scent drifted up towards Duo and he wrinkled his nose, waiting to see if the man would go away when he was done smoking. Instead, the man leaned back, and the overhang of the back door hid the upper half of his body. Duo grinned, and carefully began climbing again. Every few feet he'd stop, listening carefully, but his passage was cat-soft silent, and he could only chuckle mentally over the fact that he was breaking into an apartment directly over a guard's head.

Maybe the doctor brought over Oz troops and replaced this world's military with Oz, Duo thought; it would explain the incompetence, or perhaps such is true of all hidebound regimented worlds where the military is convinced it's the greatest power. He snorted, then caught himself, waiting to see if the guard heard anything. When no shouts came, he levered himself up the last few feet, and reached across to the window. It was unlatched, and he tentatively pushed the casement windows open with a sigh of relief.

It took a bit of scuffling to throw himself from the drainpipe to the windowsill. The long coat covered most of the sounds, and he was through the window in a heartbeat, crouching by the open window with his heart in his throat. He was in a study, bookshelves from floor to ceiling around him, and an old desk, piled high with papers. Somewhere, in the apartment, he could hear sizzling, like something cooking in a pan. He sniffed, recognizing the scent of coffee. Staying low, he crept forward, testing each step for creaks before putting down his weight.

At the doorway, Duo peered around the corner, glancing up and down the hallway before heading towards the scents and sounds of someone in the apartment. At each open door he paused, listening before poking his head around. The first room was a bathroom, the claw-footed tub glistening dully in the early evening light. The next room was a bedroom, as large as Hilde's garage, Duo thought, but sparse of everything but a low bed and a small bedside table. Duo shrugged and continued, towards the next open door that spilled yellow light into the hallway.

He leaned around the corner, holding his breath and watching, somehow unsurprised to see the Lieutenant Colonel standing with his back to the doorway. The man was still wearing his dress pants with the unusual split-overskirt, but his jacket was off and his feet were bare. His white shirt was rolled up to above his elbows. Duo watched, uncertain, his gaze traveling across the room, noting the large stove, the curve of the faucet on the sink, and then the table in the middle of the room - set with two places. A cup of coffee, still steaming, sat by one place.

Ah, so that's how it is, Duo thought, and grinned smugly. Striding across the room with a certain bit of confidence, he landed silently in the seat. He even had time to strip off his coat, letting it fall over the back of the chair, and was comfortably settled before Mustang turned around.

To Mustang's credit, Duo noted, the man barely reacted to Duo's presence at the table. He paused momentarily, his eyes going wide for a heartbeat before he nodded, coming to the table with a pan in his hand.

"Do you mind vegetables?"

"Vege..." Duo shrugged, and looked at the pan. "Tomatoes, potatoes, celery, carrots," he rattled off in his own language, and nodded enthusiastically. "Sure."

Mustang's eyebrow quirked, and he scooped out the stir-fried vegetables into a large serving bowl. Returning to the stove, he set down the pan and came back with two bowls of rice. Handing Duo a set of chopsticks, he smirked as Duo fiddled with the chopsticks, then watched him serve a spoonful of vegetables onto the bowl of rice. Within a minute or two, Duo had figured out how to use the chopsticks, and had reasonable success getting the food to his mouth.

"These are good," Duo said, keeping his voice low. "You are good at..." He waved his chopsticks at the kitchen, not sure how to put it.

"Cooking," Mustang answered, and shrugged. "I live alone. No one else is going to cook for me, and restaurants get old."

Duo nodded, getting the gist of the meaning, and eyed the bowl of vegetables. Mustang pointed at the bowl with his chopsticks, making a waving motion towards Duo, who happily helped himself to more.

"We don't have food like this, in my world. Vegetables? Cost lots of money...too much." Duo grinned around a bite of tomato. "These are better than donuts. Lots better."

Mustang laughed, a soft barking sound. "Better than sweets? Well, that's a vote of confidence in my cooking."

Duo laughed, unabashed. He mimicked Mustang's actions, holding the bowl up close to his face to shovel the rice into his mouth. Swallowing, he set the empty bowl down, laying his chopsticks neatly beside it. He waited until Mustang had finished as well, and pointedly glanced around the kitchen.

"Where's Edward?"

"Working his ass off," Mustang said. He looked like he was having a hard time keeping from laughing. "I sent him to rebuild the array."

"To send me home?" Duo sat bolt upright. "How soon―"

"Several more hours," Mustang said. "I just came from there. It was enough for General Tanaka to see the beginnings of the design, but not enough that his staff could duplicate it from memory and have much to show for it. Fullmetal will be there the rest of tonight, trying to finish it."

"And then what?" Duo licked his finger and nudged a piece of rice, sucking it off his finger as he watched Mustang start to clear the table. "When do I go home?"

"When the array is complete. Fullmetal will let me know."

"Why are you helping me?"

Mustang stopped, his back to Duo, and carefully set the bowls in the sink. He ran the water, washing and rinsing the bowls before he turned around, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. Dropping it on the counter, he leaned against the sink and crossed his arms, staring at Duo.

"Fullmetal...Edward...wants to protect you."

"And you?"

Mustang said nothing, but reached for the pan, dropping it into the sink and running water over it for several minutes. Duo got up, bringing the rest of the dishes from the table and setting them on the countertop next to Mustang. He reached out, and turned off the water, looking up at Mustang's lowered face.

"You protect him," Duo whispered.

"I do," Mustang replied. His voice was even, but low.

"I tried." Duo turned to lean against the countertop, aware he was inadvertently echoing Mustang's former position, and crossed his arms. "When the guard was killed by the chimeras...I couldn't stop it. I couldn't keep him from seeing." Duo shrugged, and shifted, feeling the gun at the base of his spine press into his skin.

"We'll be waiting awhile. The living room has too many windows, and I always spend my evenings in the study," Mustang said. "Get your coffee. I presume you came through the study window?"

Duo gave Mustang a suspicious look. "You left the windows unlocked."

"Did that as soon as I got the call from Hughes," Mustang replied, smirking. "Which is why I'm still in uniform. Go on, and I'll get changed. And take your shoes off, too."

"Sure," Duo said, and knelt down, unbuckling his boots and leaving them by the sink.

He refilled the coffee cup and trotted down the hall to the back room. The bedroom door was half-closed, and a low light seeped into the hallway. Past the bathroom, and into the study, Duo seated himself in the desk chair, flipping it around so he was sitting backwards. A minute later Mustang appeared, looking considerably more comfortable in low-slung gray sweats, and a dark blue long-sleeved shirt. He closed the window, but didn't latch it, and settled into the large wingback chair in the corner. The two were silent for several minutes, sipping their coffee, before Mustang lowered his mug and stared at Duo for a long stretch.

"I can only protect Edward from so much," Mustang said. "He's going to head into things, whether I like it or not."

"I know." Duo gave Mustang a wry smile. "He has...a purpose," he added, feeling out the word and deciding it fit. "But he's military?"

"No." Mustang's smirk glimmered in the moonlight through the window. "I am. Edward is a National Alchemist, which is the only way he can have access to research and materials that are otherwise off-limits to civilians. That means, however, that he answers to the military. If we go to war, he will have to go, as well."

"He's not the kind who can kill," Duo observed. He stared down at his coffee, his voice dropping to barely a whisper. "He's not like us."

"I hope he never will be," Mustang replied.

"This country is at war." Duo shifted in the chair, pulling one leg up to rest his chin on his knee. "I don't see military in the streets, but it feels...to me...like..."

"Yes, we are." Mustang set down his mug on the edge of the desk and leaned back, clasping his hands across his stomach. "This country has been expanding its borders, taking over other countries, for a long time. And sometimes..." He leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. "It's not worth it."

Duo sipped his coffee, making a face as he realized it had chilled to room temperature. Leaning over, he set it on the end of the desk closest to him, and straddled the chair again, draping his arms across the back as he studied the shelves. There were books crammed into every available space, with more squeezed in above the rest. Every book seemed to have little tabs and notes sticking from it, which gave the appearance of a thousand white feathers drifting across the dark leather spines. Duo sighed.

"Sometimes it _is_ worth it," Duo replied, a smile playing across his lips. "I have to get back to my world, to keep fighting. There are not lots of us, and..." He exhaled, shrugging. "Every day I am away..."

"Do you like it?" Mustang opened his eyes, their darkness nearly as complete as the shadows between the books.

"Like? That has nothing to do with it. My people...once, they smiled. Now, with the military telling us what to do, and who to be...there are no more smiles. I don't know if I like being the one who kills. But it's what I have to do. I can't ask someone else to do it for me. I will kill, so they don't have to."

Mustang nodded, but didn't say anything.

Duo watched the man, puzzled by something in the man's demeanor that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Mustang was self-contained, but there was something implacable about him, at the same time. A purity, Duo decided, as though he had a certainty almost as complete as Edward's. Duo rubbed his nose and thought about that, and then his mouth was open before he realized what he was saying.

"You have a purpose, too," he said.

"Yes," came the quiet reply.

"Edward will help you get there," Duo continued, curious.

"I hope."

Duo considered that, and decided he was satisfied. He had heard enough, although he wasn't certain why he cared to make sure Edward's commander was honorable. It was, Duo realized, a strange sense of his own responsibility, perhaps. If he hadn't had it, then he wouldn't have had a problem with the colonists who were so eager to fight and yet had no plans for how to handle peace. Well, he thought, that and the minor detail that he wasn't interested in getting help from someone with malicious intentions towards peace. It just wasn't his style.

He rested his chin on his wrists, and studied a scrap of paper tucked under one of the books. It showed a circle, with two triangles, but looked like an awkward scrawl. Duo pointed to it. "What's that?"

"Hunh?" Mustang twisted in the chair to see, then smiled, settling back down. "Alicia drew that. It's supposed to be an array."

"Ah." Duo couldn't keep a grin off his face. "Hughes is very happy about his daughter."

Mustang's laugh was another sharp bark. "He's quite enthusiastic about it." His chuckle settled down into a growl. "He drives me crazy."

"Oh, a good friend." Duo arched his eyebrows as Mustang raised his hands in surrender.

"I don't think I have much say in the matter." Mustang smirked.

"Edward doesn't use an array," Duo observed. "And you only need to..." He snapped his fingers, demonstrating.

"Not entirely." Mustang leaned forward, groaning with the action, and pulled one of the desk drawers open. He fished out a glove, slipping it onto his hand. Turning his hand so the back faced Duo, he displayed a more intricate version of the crayon drawing on the shelf. "It's an array. With this―" He snapped his fingers, and a small plume of fire shot up from his hand, dispersing quickly. "―I make fire. I'm the Flame Alchemist."

"That's useful," Duo said, impressed despite himself. He glanced around the room. "This is not the best place for it."

"Hm, no, it's not." Mustang slipped off the glove and shoved it into a pocket of his sweatpants. "Did you want to sleep? It may be late, before we hear from Fullmetal."

Duo noted the change in names, and sensed it meant the walls of formality were coming back down. He shrugged, sitting up so he could stretch lazily. "I want the chair you're in," he told Mustang.

"No need. I'll be up for awhile," Mustang said. "I've got some research to do. If it gets too late before Fullmetal calls, I'll sleep on the sofa." He shrugged. "I do it often enough. The bedroom's at the back, and our guards won't see you moving about, then."

"I could walk within ten feet of them and they wouldn't see me," Duo boasted. "I climbed up your building right over the head of one of the guards."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mustang said, standing. "I'll be taking that chair, now. I'll come wake you when I hear from Fullmetal."

"Okay." Duo stood, feeling a little awkward, and grinned to cover. "Thanks for the food. And the coffee."

"Be good, and I'll give you some to take home with you," Mustang said. "Go on, shorty."

Duo chuckled and shook his head, pulling his braid around to the front and displaying it to Mustang. "I'm no shorty. Mine's three times as long as his." When Mustang blinked, Duo only laughed, and trotted off to the bedroom.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At about this point in writing, some readers pointed out I'd completely gotten turned around on the timeline. Bottom line is that this chapter,  
> you'll notice a sudden change in all military ranks that apply, and Mustang just went from his own apartment to staying at an out-of-town friend's, rather than at the officer's quarters. I had always meant to go back and rewrite the earlier to bring it in line, but never did. So, apologies for any confusion.

Edward sat back on his heels and stared at the curves he'd drawn. He rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand, and spared a glance for Selwyn. The man was slouched in a wooden chair by the room's only door, and Edward made a face as the man's head tipped forward, then back, obviously fighting sleep and not succeeding. Edward dug his watch from his pocket and flipped the lid open, grunting in irritation as he snapped it shut and shoved it back in his pocket.

Almost eleven, he thought. That's seven hours I've been trying to get this array done.

Idly he scrubbed at a chalk line, redrawing it with a bolder curve. The strange thing was that every now and then, some of the lines flickered with a silvery tint, as though the array were kicking in already. It had Ed worried - that Selwyn would notice and ask - but also intrigued. Was something going on in Duo's world, to prompt this array to respond? And if he didn't finish the array fast enough, what if someone on the other end gave up, and stopped trying?

Part of him was almost disappointed at the idea of Duo leaving. It had been rather cool, for a little while, to hang out with someone his own age. Oh, it was annoying, sometimes, having to explain stuff. But there were more things, Edward had realized - with all the time to think, while he worked on the array - that he hadn't had to explain, at all. Duo understood. Ed had that with Alphonse, and maybe a little with Winly, and with Mustang, although he'd never admit that last one to anyone. But outside of those three...that was about it. Ed sighed. Another part of him knew that if Duo ever discovered that he'd had an opportunity to return, but Edward had screwed it up...he shook his head and bent to finishing the corner of the array. The last thing he wanted was to be on the wrong end of Duo's gun.

A few minutes later, he'd finished that corner, finally, and started on double-checking the six additional arrays. He'd tried to space them out into roughly equal distances, as the doctor had. Edward was standing on his tiptoes, adding the last swirl on the third secondary, when Selwyn's chair scraped across the floor. It startled Ed, and the chalk snapped in his fingers. He swore under his breath and bent down, picking up the chalk before shooting Selwyn a glare.

"Do you mind?" No, he probably doesn't, Edward immediately added. He glowered anyway. "I'm _concentrating_."

"I can see that," Selwyn replied, in a dry tone. He yawned and stretched. "How much more do you have to do?"

"I need to confirm the shapes of the secondary arrays," Edward said, not really paying attention. There was something wrong with the third secondary, and he wiped off one of the angular connections, replacing it with a curve. It flickered for a moment, and he smiled to himself.

"Your commanding officer's a real hard-ass," Selwyn observed, settling back down on the chair. He leaned his head back, his hands clasped behind his head.

"The Colonel's a good man," Edward retorted. He wouldn't ask me to do something he didn't think I could manage, either. Edward snorted. Well, Mustang might, but Edward would do it, anyway, just to prove Mustang wrong.

"Didn't say he wasn't," Selwyn said, in a reasonable tone. "Just...it's getting near midnight. And you're still here, drawing the array. Unless, of course, General Tanaka scared you into submission." Selwyn chuckled. "He does that."

Not even half as well as Mustang can, Edward thought. He gritted his teeth, determined to ignore the man.

"Although," Selwyn added, yawning a little, "it was rather amusing to see the General surprised. He was expecting a report...not a full-blown array." There was silence for several minutes, broken only by the scrape of chalk on painted walls. "What's this stuff do, anyway? If I had chalk, could I do this, too?"

"Maybe," Edward told him, a bit begrudgingly. "But probably not. Alchemy requires...more than just drawing. But you might be able to do the simple stuff. Or you'd get a rebound, and you'd learn to leave it to the experts."

"Like Colonel Mustang," Selwyn rejoined.

I hate this guy, Edward thought.

"So you really think the kid is just a kid?" Selwyn seemed determined to make conversation, probably to keep from falling asleep. "All the way from Xing, too."

"Could be." Edward moved to the fourth secondary, running his gaze across the lines. He touched one chalk line, experimentally, and saw the flash of silver run up its length, then blink out as it hit an intersecting line. Something's not right there, Edward thought, trying to remember the exact lines he'd seen. If only Alphonse and Duo were here...between the three of them, they would've had the array done in two hours: he and Alphonse to draw, and Duo to confirm.

"He didn't look like what I'd thought someone from Xing would look like," Selwyn commented.

"I've never been to Xing, so I don't know," Edward said, shrugging. He moved to the fifth secondary. If these last two were in place, he just needed to figure out how to get away from Selwyn long enough to call Mustang. He rubbed his eyes again, yawned, and blinked at the array.

"If he _is_ a beginner alchemist, that would definitely fall under the heading of messing with things you don't understand," Selwyn commented. He grunted, getting comfortable again on the wooden chair, and stared at the ceiling.

For several minutes, there was no conversation, and Edward's mind wandered back to the evening, when he'd been halfway through the center array. He'd not filled in the interior angles, nor the references in the perimeter, but he had two of the six secondaries marked for location. A brace of boots stomping down the corridor had alerted him, and he had come to his feet right as General Tanaka and two of his aides burst through the doors. Colonel Mustang and Second Lieutenant Hawkeye had been right behind them.

Once again, Edward had refrained from saluting, but only gave Mustang a short, abrupt bow, and turned his attention back to the array. Mustang's gaze passed over the array, and Edward was quite certain the Colonel had missed none of the intricate details already present. They'd only stayed a few minutes. Edward had listened with one ear, his attention fixed on the way the exterior lines swirled inwards to meet the first triangle. He'd been too focused to care what Mustang was saying in the background, or to do more than absently register that his half-completed report was being handed over. He'd cocked his head, and frowned at the array. Stepping carefully over the chalk lines, he'd knelt down, scrubbing at the chalk and redrawing the intersection. He shielded the soft silver glow with his body, and by the time he'd stood up, General Tanaka and his aides were gone.

Mustang had remained in the doorway long enough to give Edward an inscrutable look. "Stay here, and complete this. I want it done before you leave."

Edward had gaped, then sighed. "Yes, sir." Reluctantly, he bent forward, ducking his head in a formal bow, and Mustang nodded before leaving. When Edward had raised his head, Selwyn was giving him an equally unreadable look. Edward ignored him, and got back to work.

And now, five hours later... Edward stepped back from the fifth secondary, and cast a glance at Selwyn. The man wasn't asleep, unfortunately, and his eyes were fixed on Edward's every move. Ed had to struggle to keep from bristling at the intense stare.

"I'm going to be here for a while longer," Edward told him.

"Just how much is 'a while longer'?"

"Depends on whether I can work uninterrupted," Edward replied, his mind moving a mile a minute, remembering something General Tanaka had said as he'd left. A second array...Edward nearly groaned, finally realizing the implication. A second array, when this was hassle enough to build― of _course_. How else could one test moving an item from one array to another without both ends present, to test the theory? But then, if he could get Duo into one array, would Duo only be moved to the next room? Or worse, would half of Duo go one place, and the other half - Edward pushed that thought out of his head. He didn't even want to consider ripping his friend into two pieces.

The problem, Edward told himself - doing his best to forget that he'd just thought of Duo as a _friend_ \- is that once this array is complete, the second one created will duplicate it exactly. He redrew the final swoop and finished it off with a small square. And I can't do this one incomplete, or the other will be as well. He rubbed his forehead, squinting through the haze of threatening sleep, and moved to study the sixth secondary.

I've got to figure out a way to send Duo home, before the second array is built, he realized. And that means...tonight. Is that why Mustang was so insistent that I start now? Get Duo out of here, before the chance of his discovery is too great?

Edward sighed, and watched the silver light flickering across the surface of the array. Strange, he thought, it's silver. Why wouldn't it be blue? Alchemical reactions start blue, but an array will tend towards gold as it reaches its apex. With his style of transmutation, the speed of the change often meant the gold flickered past too quickly to notice, but in a full array such as this, the golden-yellow tones would definitely be predominant for a good period of the process. He wondered what would cause the silver, and how that might impact the array's progression.

Edward stepped away from the array with a sigh. "I'm done," he announced.

"Great," Selwyn said. "Dorms, then."

"No," Edward replied, shaking his head. He shoved the chalk in his pocket and walked over to the door, grabbing his red coat and pulling it on. "I need to notify the Colonel that I'm done."

"It's almost midnight," Selwyn pointed out.

"And he's probably just getting in from a date, then." Edward shrugged, then halted, frowning. "I don't know where he's staying."

"I do." Selwyn opened the doors. Edward followed, his shoulders hunched.

 

 

 

The car pulled up in front of an apartment building about eight blocks from the North Annex, and Edward sat up with a yawn, climbing out of the car with his eyes half-closed. Two of the three men got out with him, one of them going around to the back of the building. Edward glared, stomping up to the front porch where he waited as Selwyn spoke in low tones with the guard.

"Top floor apartment," Selwyn told Edward. He pointed up at the light glowing from the front rooms. "And he's awake."

"Good." Edward put a hand on the door.

"We'll wait for you here. And then you're going to the dorms."

Assuming Mustang doesn't have something _else_ for me to do, Edward muttered silently. He shoved the doors open and heading up the stairs. The ports in his right shoulder ached from supporting his weight all night as he drew, and he stretched and flexed the arm as he stomped up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, he rapped quickly on the only door. There was light under the doorway, seeping into the hallway, and he waited, listening for the sounds of footsteps. None came, and he rapped again, only to find the door swinging open under his knuckles.

Light glinted off something metal, a few feet away.

"Damn it, Duo, stop doing that," Edward sputtered.

"If I'd fired," Duo said in a completely deadpan tone, "it would've gone over your head, anyway." The gun disappeared into the back of Duo's jeans. Edward finally registered Duo's meaning, and opened his mouth to protest. Duo grinned and made a shushing sound, then beckoned Edward in. "Mustang is sleeping," Duo whispered.

"Sleeping?" Edward goggled, then smirked. "Sleeping off the effects of a date, you mean."

"Date?" Duo glanced over his shoulder as he led the way into the kitchen. "Drink? Food?"

"With some woman. He's got one in every town...or five," Edward replied, opening the cabinets. "Hey, this is all healthy stuff. Doesn't he have anything decent?"

"It's _good_ stuff." Duo set some rolls on the countertop, then dug around in the icebox, appearing with a slab of ham and some vegetables. Working briskly, he soon had two sandwiches made, and they sat down at the table to eat. Duo finished first, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and gave Edward an expectant look. "Are you done drawing?"

"Yeah." Edward took another bite of his sandwich, surprised that it wasn't as bad as he'd expected. "Those secondary arrays were a bitch, and on top of that, it's acting strange. It keeps flashing. Arrays shouldn't do that."

"They shouldn't?" Duo shrugged, and got up to make another sandwich. "Want more?"

"Hell, yeah. I'm starving." Edward waited as Duo brought him a second sandwich.

"There are rats in my kitchen," a deep voice announced, and Edward started, a little guilty. Mustang was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed, a small book tucked under one arm. Edward blinked, unused to seeing the man dressed down. Mustang smirked as he strolled forward to drop himself into the empty chair at the end of the table. "You finished the array?"

"Yes, sir," Edward answered, automatically.

"Food?" Duo held up the last bit of his sandwich to Mustang. He waved it towards the countertop, at the remains of a head of lettuce, two tomatoes, and sliced ham. He grinned and bit into the sandwich, speaking around a full mouth. "Very good."

"Ah, no," Mustang said, leaning back in the chair. He clasped his hands over his stomach, and watched as the two boys finished the second round of sandwiches. Mustang shook his head. "Johan is going to kill me," he muttered under his breath. When Duo looked up, Mustang shrugged. "My friend's place, not mine. He's out of town. You're eating all his food."

"Surprised it's not some woman's place," Edward muttered. Duo kicked him under the table, and Edward scowled. "Hey! What was―"

"You need to use that array tonight," Mustang interrupted. His gaze darted between Ed and Duo, and a small smile played on his lips, but it was broken by a yawn. "And do it quietly. I don't want to be dragged out to deal with your ass if you get caught."

"I'm not the one who blows things up!" Edward shot Duo an annoyed look. Duo snapped his fingers and went back to eating the last crumbs of bread on his plate. Edward raised his eyebrows at Mustang, but realized quickly he'd find no sympathy there. He got up, taking his plate to the sink. "That was the stupidest idea, letting Duo stay here," he muttered.

"What's that?" Mustang yawned.

"Surprised the building's still standing," Edward retorted. "Would've expected you two out in the alley, seeing who can make a bigger explosion."

"Tempting." Mustang laughed softly. Duo gave Edward an innocent smile, but it quickly faded into something a bit more wicked. Mustang set the book down on the table, and stood up. "I'm going to tell the guards that you've fallen asleep on the sofa. And you may want to call your brother, and let him know you're okay. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes said Alphonse would probably be awake and waiting."

"Yes, sir," Edward said. He picked up the phone in the kitchen, dialing, and waited as the phone rang. Mustang was gone, the apartment door shutting behind him, and Duo was putting away the food. Edward's eyes fell on the little book, and the bookmark, just as someone picked up.

"Hughes speaking." Hughes' voice was sleepy, but he seemed to wake up the instant Edward said hello. "Ah, Edward! Hold on, let me get your brother."

A minute later, Alphonse came on the line. "Brother! Are you done? Where are you now?"

"At Mustang's. I'm falling asleep, though, so I definitely _won't_ be going out again."

"Not even to the dorms?" Alphonse sounded confused.

"Nowhere," Edward said. "Not going to budge. Cause, y'know," he added, leaning against the wall with a casual air, "it's just too late at night to go wandering about."

"This is true, brother," Alphonse said in a knowing tone. "Building Four was a long walk from there to the Colonel's?"

"Three," Edward corrected. "Not too far. Got a ride. Anyway, see you in the _morning_ when you go to buy _flowers_."

"Okay, brother."

Edward hung up, and turned to Duo with a grin. His gaze fell on the book again, and he frowned, curious. Glancing towards the door, he opened the book to the bookmark, his eyes running down the lines. Poetry, he noted, and his first thought was that Mustang was picking out poems for seducing his latest round of girlfriends. Then Edward read the lines.

"Remember me, implored the thief, oh magnanimity," Edward whispered under his breath. Duo, intrigued, came to stand by him, listening. "My visitor in Paradise, I give thee guaranty."

"What is it?" Duo peered at the book, confused.

"Shh," Edward told him, and kept reading. "That courtesy will fair remain, when the delight is dust, with which we cite this mightiest case of compensated trust." He paused, unable to reconcile such a strange passage with the man he'd known for four years.

"Is that it?" Duo leaned closer, and Edward shook his head.

"One more verse." Edward read it out slowly. "Of all, we are allowed to hope, but affidavit stands―"

"That this was due," Mustang's voice interrupted. He was standing at the end of the table, his dark eyes inscrutable. "Where some, we fear, are unexpected friends."

Edward scowled and slapped the book shut. "I don't see how you plan on impressing girls with that tripe," he announced.

"I wasn't," Mustang replied. "Full moon tonight."

Duo nodded, and took his coat from the chair. Edward gave him a puzzled look. "We're going now?"

"Sure thing, friend," Duo said, laughing softly, and slipped from the room.

"Go on, Fullmetal," Mustang told him.

 

 

 

It surprised Edward, how easily they could scurry down the gutter pipe from the darkened living room, landing in the alleyway with quiet thumps. They were both quiet for a second, and then Duo nodded, leading the way towards the back of the building. There, Duo grinned, pointing to the sleeping guard. The two tiptoed past, taking off once they'd turned the corner down another alleyway. A block later, they reappeared on the street, both looking pretty smug.

"You're looking forward to going home," Edward said, quietly, and a bit more reluctantly than he'd expected.

"Yeah." Duo shrugged. "I have too much to do. Besides," and he chuckled, "you'll be glad to get back to your own things."

"I guess." Edward shoved his hands in his pockets and watched his feet as they crossed the footbridge. "It's been kind of cool, though."

"Maybe I'll come back and visit," Duo replied, stretching his arms over his head. "But I guess that would take planning. If you didn't know..."

"...Unless you told me when," Edward said, then shrugged. "Not much point. I don't know what things'll be like in three months, let alone..."

"Yeah." Duo dropped his arms and kicked at a rock on the path. "I don't even know if I'll live through the year."

"Don't say that," Edward said, his voice harsh. The level of his anger caught him off-guard, and he frowned to cover his surprise.

Duo didn't seem to notice. "It's war. People die. That's okay."

"It's _not_ okay."

"Well, maybe not." Duo's face closed-off, and he looked down the street. "Five years...who knows where we'll be, then?"

"Why five years?"

"I'll be...twenty," Duo replied. "Old!" He laughed.

"But still short," Edward retorted. He grinned at Duo's raised eyebrows. "I, however, will be four inches taller."

"Maybe I'll be five inches taller," Duo replied. He elbowed Edward, and jerked his head towards the corner. "I think that's Alphonse."

Edward looked up, nodding as he recognized his brother's shape, and picked up his pace. Alphonse was standing in the shadows by the flower shop. He was shifting from foot to foot, looking as nervous as a suit of armor could manage. "Brother! Are we going to use the array, now?"

"Yeah, I hope. I haven't tested it..." Edward shook his head, and realized his braid was falling out. Holding the tie between his teeth, he quickly braided it and tied it off. "Long night...but we're almost done. Send you home, and I'll sleep for a week!"

Duo grinned, and the three figures fell silent, skirting the empty sidewalks and keeping close to the shadows. Edward's mind was still back on the conversation he'd been having with Duo, before they'd seen Alphonse. Duo was walking nearest to the buildings, following Ed's lead, but his face was constantly turned up to the sky. It made Ed wonder how Duo had managed to not trip over anything or walk into anything.

"What are you staring at?" He finally burst out, keeping his voice low. It echoed on the street, and he looked around nervously.

"That..." Duo pointed upwards.

"The moon," Alphonse said.

"Yeah." Duo smiled, a sincere, delighted expression.

Edward glanced up, and shrugged. "What's so great about the moon?"

"It's...the moon," Duo said, hesitating. He reached out and tugged lightly on a lock of Edward's golden hair. "You don't like the moon, hunh? You prefer the other...the..."

"Sun," Alphonse provided.

Edward batted Duo's hand away, and hunched his shoulders. "The sun's nothing big, either. It's just a ball of fire and gas that's the gravity well around which our planet revolves. Big deal."

"And the moon is just a rock," Duo replied, unruffled. "But it's still...it's..." He shook his head, a frustrated look crossing his face. "Where I live, the moon is too near. It's only a rock. But from here..." He stamped one foot, emphasizing the ground. "From here..."

"Beautiful?" Alphonse sighed. "It is very pretty. Silvery."

Silvery, Edward repeated, not sure why that word stood out. He halted in his tracks as Duo's words finally registered. "Where do you live, that the moon is close by?"

Duo laughed softly, and pointed towards the sky. "Up there."

"You live in the sky?" Alphonse tilted back, staring.

"No way." Edward scowled, and shook his head.

" _Yes_ way." Duo laughed again, and shrugged. "Not your world. My world." A look of sadness flashed over his features, and he dropped his chin as he started to walk again. "Is the drawing far away?"

"Uh..." Edward trotted to catch up with Duo, annoyed at the fact that Alphonse had no trouble. "Yeah. Other side of the city, near the main military buildings. Ten more blocks."

"Oh."

"In alchemy," Alphonse said, very softly, "some say that pinnacle of transmutation is a meeting of the sun and moon."

"Metaphor," Edward retorted, his tone almost cranky.

"But still a very pretty metaphor," Alphonse said.

"Two things..." Duo sighed, and went back to staring upwards. "Dark, light, day, night. That makes sense to me." He held out a hand, palm-down, and tilted it back and forth. "You need both."

Edward grunted, and kicked at a rock. "It's still metaphor. It's not like you're going to squish the sun and moon together."

"Maybe," Duo said, with a smile. He glanced up again, a look on his face as though he were sharing secrets with the great silvery globe hanging low over the horizon.

"What?" Edward frowned, but Duo just smiled and kept walking.

 

 

 

"Okay," Edward said, as they neared the building. "I'll go in the front. That way, if the guards see the light of a reaction, they won't come investigate."

"I could―" Duo grinned, then stopped as Edward held up a hand.

Edward narrowed his eyes at Duo. "No explosions!"

Duo made a sulky face, and wrinkled his nose at Edward.

"Now," Edward said, starting over, "You two, go around back. There's a back entrance that should be unguarded at this time of night, but you'll need to get through the perimeter fencing. The array's on the fourth floor, room D."

"All right, brother," Alphonse said. Duo nodded.

Edward remained where he was, watching as the two of them slipped down the side alley, going around to the back of the building. He counted to twenty, and pushed away from the shadow of the building, striding down the sidewalk as though he owned it. At the guard booth, the man stepped out, about to ask a question. Edward pulled out his watch and swung it around a few times before catching it in his hand, shoving it in his pocket, and continuing on past without stopping.

At the front doors, he took a deep breath and pushed the doors open. Down the hallway, to the stairs, and up four flights: he counted them off as he climbed. He'd just reached the third floor when he halted, wondering if he should've had Duo and Alphonse wait for him in the stairwell. Suddenly worried, and not entirely sure why, he bolted up the stairs, pushing open the fourth floor doors to find an empty hallway.

He grinned at his own anxiety, and headed towards Room D. The door was ajar, and he pushed it open, relieved to see the thin trickles of silver lighting the room as the array's secondaries flashed like fireflies. Then he realized there were silhouettes blocking the lit patterns. Something cold bumped him in the back of the head, and Edward froze, instinctively putting up his hands.

"Go on in, Fullmetal," the voice said.

"Selwyn," Edward replied, stifling a groan. Damn it.

"That's right. Figured you might come back to keep working...or better, bring the kid with you." Selwyn flicked on the lights, and the silvery light dissipated. Selwyn stepped around so Edward could see the gun, and motioned Ed forward. "Go on, go stand over next to the array. And don't try anything. If you're here, we might as well make the best use of it, before that slippery kid decides to pull another vanishing act."

Edward scowled, then turned to look at Alphonse, and realized it wasn't Duo and another guard, but two guards, and no Duo. One of the men had a gun trained on Alphonse. The other was standing over a small black heap. A long chestnut braid snaked out from under the pile of black wool.

"What did you do?" Edward turned on Selwyn angrily.

"Just knocked him out," the guard standing over Duo replied, holstering his gun. "Keeps him quiet."

Edward turned again, snarling, "you didn't need―"

"Just shut up, kid," Selwyn interrupted. "The General should be here in a few minutes," He leaned back in the wooden chair with a smug look. Edward moved to stand by Alphonse and crossed his arms, glowering. Selwyn shrugged. "General Tanaka will enjoy catching you in the act of disobeying orders."

"I didn't disobey―"

"You did, young man," a deeper voice said, and the General strode through the door.

Tanaka nodded to the guards, and Edward belatedly realized that one was the man to whom he'd shown his watch, outside by the guard booth. Edward swore under his breath and moved nearer to Duo.

"We'll leave that to your commanding officer, though," the General continued. He was still dressed in his uniform, although his pants were a little wrinkled. He looked like he'd dressed in a hurry.

Yeah, like Mustang's going to give a damn about those rules.

"Shouldn't be too long." Tanaka looked equally smug. Edward blinked, not sure he'd heard the man correctly.

"Mustang reporting, sir," a familiar voice said, and the Colonel stepped through the door. He was alone. His long black coat was open, revealing dress pants but no jacket. His top two buttons on his crisp dress shirt were undone. His eyes were sleepy, but he gave Edward a sharp look, missing nothing. "I wasn't aware you wanted a demonstration in the middle of the night."

"Well, we have all the players," the General said. "No time like the present."

Hell. Edward cringed a little when Mustang arched an eyebrow, then nodded. It sucked. He _knew_ he should've ignored the Colonel and headed straight for Liore. Ed glanced down at Duo, who hadn't moved, but then he noticed Duo's fingers were twitching, just the barest movement. Edward looked up at Alphonse, an idea forming in his head. Mustang was explaining the array to Tanaka in flat tones. Edward ducked his head, but didn't bother to entirely hide the smile forming.

Then again, this just _might_ work.


	11. Chapter 11

Duo stayed where he was, somewhat relieved the guard hadn't thought to hit him a second time to make sure. A quick rolling back of the eyes and an ungraceful fall straight down was often a good move - if running was out of the question, that is. He laid on his side, his eyes barely open, and stared at the array. The chalk lines were thick and white and meant nothing to him, but every now and then he could catch a glimpse of silver threading through the curves. He saw it only in his peripheral vision, and it was gone the second he moved his eyes to look. Heavy footsteps came closer, and he instinctively relaxed his body, letting his eyes close to slits.

"...I'm not convinced, and a second array would―"

"General, I would normally agree, but given that your references have come to the same conclusion as I, perhaps we should try it at least once," Mustang's voice answered.

A hand grabbed Duo by the scruff of his neck and hauled him upright, and an arm grabbed him around the chest. Duo made a point of groaning softly, as though he were coming around. Before he could get his feet under him, he was dragged backwards. One of the guards had him securely, pulling him back until he was by the wall, and dropping him there. Duo glanced up at the guard with a scowl, and then realized something he'd not thought to ask.

"Hey, mister," he whispered, ignoring Mustang and Tanaka speaking at the edge of the array. Two more people had joined the men - an older man and woman - also in dark blue. Duo noticed they had silver chains hanging from their belts, like Mustang and Edward. "Hey," Duo repeated. When the guard looked down, Duo raised his eyebrows and tried to look nonchalant. "How many days are in a year?"

"How many..." The guard blinked. "Uh...three hundred and sixty-five, not counting leap years," he said, baffled.

"Ah." Good, Duo thought. He wasn't sure what a leap year might be, but he suspected the rotational length for this world was likely identical to his own. He doubted there was much in it, but since he'd raised the issue, he figured he'd make sure. "Leap year...three-hundred sixty-six days?"

"Yeah." The guard frowned and crossed his arms. "Now, shut up, kid."

Duo grinned and made himself comfortable against the wall, figuring he had a prime spot to watch the goings-on. Mustang and Tanaka had pulled back slightly, and Alphonse was talking with Edward. Then Alphonse came to stand by Duo, but didn't say anything. Duo looked up, winking at the suit of armor, before returning his attention to Edward.

The young man was a slight figure against all the dark blue suits in the room, and was shedding his red jacket and tossing it to the side. His black under-coat was waist-length, flaring out slightly as he stood with his hands on his hips, his chin up as he turned in a circle, studying the secondary arrays on the wall. Duo glanced over his head at the one above him when Edward looked his way, and mentally inserted the diagrams he'd pasted on the wall in Hilde's garage. Everything was in place as far as he could tell, but he had no idea about the design in the center.

Mustang said something to one of the other alchemists, and the woman came to the door, picked up the wooden chair, and carried it back to Mustang. Edward took the chair, stepping carefully over the chalk lines to place the chair in the center. Duo caught only a few of Mustang's low-pitched words, but it seemed that the chair was to act as the first test subject. Duo smirked.

Better it than me, he thought.

Edward glanced over at Mustang, as though waiting for a cue, and knelt down when he received Mustang's irritated nod. There was a pause, then Edward sat back on his heels, clapping his hands sharply. Leaning forward, he slammed his hands down onto the edge of the circle.

Blue light exploded upwards from the main array. The secondaries lit up with a silvery light that shone into the room. Tanaka and his guards threw up their arms, shielding their eyes, but Duo only squinted, unwilling to take his eyes off Edward and the main circle. The blue light was streaking upwards, wavering as though weaving through smoke, and tinting gold at the peak. The gold began to slip downwards, absorbing more of the blue until all the arrays, including the secondaries, were beacons of gold and red.

Wind whipped through the room, catching the military coats and flaring them outwards. Mustang's hair was rippling around his face, and Duo's bangs blew into his eyes and out again. Edward still knelt by the array, his shoulders tensed. He looked like he was forcibly pushing the array to bend to his will. His golden braid snaked around behind him in the wind, snapping like a scorpion's tail as he leaned onto his hands. One foot was braced against the floor behind him, as though he were getting ready to pounce.

Something was forming in the center of the array, and Duo scrambled to his feet. The guard next to him barely noticed, too busy covering his face against the strong wind. Duo chuckled and rolled his eyes. The wind shear wasn't even half what he'd gotten from having a Gundam flyby in close quarters. He braced himself against the currents circling the room, his eyes fixed on the array.

The shape flickered, the chair seeming to melt, then disappear, to be replaced with a taller shape that dropped down to a small shape. The golden light echoing the chalk lines suddenly shifted to silver, starting at the center and spreading outwards from yellow to white like the ripples in a pond. The lamp on the wall shattered. The double doors blew open, then slammed shut. One of the guards yelled something. Duo stepped forward, unable to take his eyes away from the shape in the circle. The silver light grew brighter, blinding, and then died. Duo blinked. The shape was gone - or was it?

No, it was huddled in the middle of the array, but slowly it unbent, coming to its knees.

"Another homunculus," Tanaka said, his deep voice filled with satisfaction. "Guards―"

Duo blinked again, rubbed his eyes, and shot forward. "Hilde! Hilde!"

The figure crumpled again, her hands over her ears, but she dropped them at Duo's shout. "Duo? What the hell! Where have you―"

"I'm fine, just stay―"

One of the guards caught Duo's braid. Duo snarled, twisting as he kicked out at the man's kneecaps. The guard punched, catching Duo in the jaw. He hit the ground, immediately rolling over on his stomach as he tried to get to his feet. The room was spinning from the punch, and he fell to his elbows with a groan. The guard lunged forward again. There was a flash of light, and Duo blinked. He turned, looking up to see Edward standing over him, legs on either side of Duo's waist.

"Don't _touch_ him," Edward spat, the knife blade glittering in the room's single remaining wall lamp.

"Hey," Duo said, scrambling out from under Edward's legs. "Thanks, but you've got to send her back now, send her back―"

"I will," Edward replied, not moving, his body braced. "But if they interrupt me―"

He cut off his words, twisting and leaning to fling his right arm outwards. The blade came to rest, dangerously close to Selwyn's throat. The man had tried to approach the array from behind Edward. Selwyn's gun was trained on Hilde. At the back of the room, another guard had a gun on Alphonse, preventing him from moving closer to the array. The two alchemists were almost incoherent, and Duo couldn't pick out their words and didn't bother. He was too focused on Hilde's terrified face as she huddled in the center of the circle.

"Duo!" Hilde's expression was somewhere between terror and extreme annoyance. "What the hell is this? Howard and I―"

"Howie?" Duo felt like laughing. "Just stay there, Hilde, Edward's going to send you home again." He came to his feet at Edward's side, and it took him a second to remember he was speaking his own language. He moved to stand almost back-to-back with Edward, and spoke over his shoulder as he pointed at Hilde. Shifting quickly into Edward's language, he told Edward, "She's my friend. You've got to get her out of here."

"I will," Edward promised. Selwyn stepped slowly away from the array, and Edward brought his hands together, shoulder-width apart. "I just―"

"Don't make a move," another guard said. His gun was pointed at Edward. "General Tanaka wants the homunculus."

"She's _not_ a homunculus!" Duo launched himself forward the single step distance, cold-cocking the guard under the chin in one blow. The man fell backwards, unconscious. "Bastard," Duo spat, and pulled a leg back to kick the man.

"Wait!" The General's shout was impressive, and the room came to a complete silence. Even Mustang looked startled. Edward turned to look at the General with barely-masked irritation. The General ignored him, and strode forward to stand over Duo. "You, boy. Do you know this girl?"

"Yeah," Duo said. "She's Hilde. She's a friend of mine."

"I wasn't aware that homunculi _had_ friends," the General said, almost to himself. He glared at Duo. "What language are you speaking?"

"I don't know the word for it in your language," Duo told him, puzzled. "We call it standard."

" _Standard_." The General hummed to himself, and clasped his hands behind his back, turning to one of the other Alchemists. "Mathrey. Your report said homunculi must be educated completely by the creating Alchemist―"

"Duo," Hilde hissed in an undertone, her eyes darting back and forth between the men. "What are they saying?"

"Be quiet a minute," Duo whispered back, as loudly as he dared. "We're trying to convince him you're not...you're not..." He frowned, and waved one hand at her for silence. "Just hold _on_."

One of the guards stepped closer to the array, his foot nudging the chalk line. Edward frowned and stood up, his hands on his hips. "Get away from the array," he spat.

"Fullmetal," Mustang warned.

"―But homunculi are supposed to―" One of the Alchemists was explaining.

"Colonel," Edward protested. The guard took another step, and Edward didn't hesitate. He clapped his hands, pressing them against the floor. Blue light from the reaction shot upwards then streaked towards the guard to spread out in a circle around the man.

"What the hell?" Tanaka burst out. Duo turned his back to the array and Edward, ready to defend.

The blue light faded as the guard hollered. The floor had somehow melted upwards, wrapping around the guard and pinning him in place in with steel bonds. Edward shot Duo a smirk. The rest of the guards still had their guns trained on Hilde. The girl was curled up in a ball, trying to make herself the smallest possible target. Her blue eyes were glazed with fright, and she seemed to be shaking. Duo sighed, knowing he'd done the same thing when he'd first come through, and tried to focus on deciphering the four people talking at once. Mustang's voice was too low, and the Alchemists were speaking at the same time. The General's voice rode over all of them.

"Transposition," he announced. "I'm still not convinced―"

"There's no known records of making a homunculus from a _chair_ ," Edward interrupted. "If it were that easy, we'd be swarming with them."

Duo turned in time to see Hilde lower her hands, and start to straighten up. Two of the guards raised their guns again. Duo could hear the safeties clicking off. He tensed, and Edward noticed with a scowl.

"General Tanaka, sir!" Edward pointed to the guards. "Those men―"

"Tell them to lower their guns!" Duo interjected. "You're scaring my friend!"

"What the hell does a homunculus know about guns?" Mathrey scoffed.

Duo pulled out his gun and shoved it, one-handed, into the man's face. "I know enough to kill you," Duo snapped.

The room was silent for a minute, then Tanaka narrowed his eyes. "Fullmetal gave this boy a gun, Colonel Mustang," he said coldly. "I am not impressed with―"

"It's not my gun, and I didn't transmute it, damn it," Edward retorted. He pointed at the trapped guard. "I don't _need_ one!"

"Hilde!" Duo shouted over his shoulder. He kept his own gun trained on the Alchemist. "Where's your sidearm?"

"Right here," she called back. "Who do I shoot first?"

"Not me!" Edward yelled at her, putting his hands up.

Hilde giggled, and Duo guessed she'd shifted her target to someone else. Duo wasn't surprised that Edward had gotten the gist of the conversation - tones carried more meaning than people realized. At least Hilde knew Duo well enough to figure out right away that Edward was a friend, based on the fact that he and Duo were almost back-to-back. Duo wondered distantly if Hilde's mischievous side had surfaced long enough to tease Edward. He smirked at the thought.

"Mathrey," Tanaka said, in a strangely calm voice that rumbled through the room, "I do not believe that a homunculus would be transmuted with a gun in hand."

Selwyn stepped forward, and Duo realized that Hilde had picked Selwyn as her target. The man's hands were up, and empty. "Sir," Selwyn said, "transposition is still a valuable tool. Far more valuable than homunculi."

"True," Tanaka replied, eyeing Duo's gun. "Put that down, boy." He shook his head, and looked around at the guards. "Everyone, holster your weapons." He snapped his fingers at Hilde, and Duo stifled a grin. "You, girl, you too."

"Duo?" Hilde's voice was thin with fear.

"Yeah, I think it's cool," Duo told her, shoving his own gun into the back of his jeans and dropping his shirt over it. "You can put it away."

"And you, Fullmetal," Tanaka added. "Drop your hands."

Duo realized Edward's hands had been ready to clap for the past several minutes, and he winked at Edward. He got a scowl back for his efforts, and shrugged in response. Edward nodded, and dropped his hands, waiting.

"Transposition, hunh," Tanaka said, thoughtfully. "Colonel Mustang."

"Sir," Mustang said. He stepped forward. His hair was a little tousled from the wind, but he seemed bored, as though the past so many minutes were no more fascinating than watching paint dry on a spare part. The Colonel's dark eyes flashed once, in Duo's direction, and Duo thought he caught a bit of amusement at the whole thing. Mustang certainly didn't seem too worried.

"I would appreciate you assigning Fullmetal to be interviewed by my staff, until the knowledge has been properly transferred and recorded," Tanaka announced.

"Of course, sir," Mustang replied, in that smooth voice.

"Do you, boy..." Tanaka turned to Duo. "Do you know how to do this array?"

Duo shook his head. "I still don't know how I got here, really."

"I see." Tanaka pondered that for a moment, then looked at Mustang.

"Sir!" Edward's voice was low, but urgent. "The array―"

Duo turned to see the silver light fading, and he frowned, puzzled. "What's going on?"

Hilde looked around, then at Edward's frown. She leaned towards Duo, and started to stand up. "Duo?"

"Stay there, Hil," Duo called.

"Fullmetal?" Tanaka's voice was almost hesitant, as if he'd just realized he was truly out of his depth. Behind him, Mustang's lips curled sardonically, but the expression was gone instantly and Duo could see Mustang tensing, his eyes on Edward.

"We've got to send her back, _now_ ," Edward said. "Duo, get out of the way." He clapped his hands and dropped to his knees, slapping the palms of his hands against the edge of the chalk circle. The blue light streamed upwards, then just as quickly flickered and died.

"Mustang, what the hell―" Tanaka barked.

"It's the other half of the equation," Edward yelled over his shoulder. Hilde was frozen in the middle of the circle. "Someone on the other side has to put energy into the matching array―" He sat back, clapping his hands together with an intent expression. He slapped them down on the array.

Nothing happened.

"Damn it, Howie," Duo muttered. "Don't give up. Don't call it quits for the night..."

"What? What's going on?" Hilde yelled.

"It works both ways," Duo told her, in the silence as everyone watched. "Howard's got to be powering it from the other side...or it doesn't work."

"And I'm trapped?" Hilde's voice went up in a shriek. "Duo Maxwell, if that's true, I'm going to―"

"Damn it, Hilde," Duo snapped. "Howard wouldn't just give up, would he?"

"He only just got to L2," Hilde replied. "He came as fast as he could. I didn't know who else in the Sweepers might help, and I know he's exhausted, and―"

"There!" Edward shouted, pointing to a thin silver beam slicing down one of the secondary arrays. He grinned at Hilde, a sharp look, and held out his hands. "Hold on!"

"He says hold on," Duo repeated.

"I think I got the damn meaning!" Hilde shot Duo an annoyed look and fell to her knees. She clasped her hands behind her neck and ducked her head.

"And don't forget, put something by the ECM or else the ECM will get transferred," Duo shouted. "You let that happen, and I'll―" Hilde raised one hand, waving it, and Duo shut up, grinning. Hilde made a disgusted sound and wrapped her hand over the back of her neck again.

Edward's palms meeting together made a resounding clap, and he slammed them down onto the floor with all the power in his body. The blue light shot upwards, and Duo stepped backwards. The wind whipped fiercest around the edge of the circle. Duo could see Selwyn dragging the unconscious guard out of harm's way. The light shifted to gold, then split through with silver. The light was overwhelming, but Edward was staring intently into the center of the array, his lips tight, his teeth bared.

Then the light faded, and Duo blinked.

The wooden chair was back in the center of the array. There was a half-eaten sandwich on it, sitting on a paper napkin.

Mustang chuckled, and after a second even Tanaka had to shake his head and laugh quietly.

"And I would suppose homunculi eat peanut-butter sandwiches in whatever realm they come from?" He turned to Mathrey with a raised eyebrow. The Alchemist could only shrug, and look puzzled. Tanaka smiled ruefully, then, and turned to Duo. "All right, boy, say your goodbyes and head home."

"Thanks," Duo said. He glanced past the group to see Alphonse still on the edges, and smiled. Moving around the group of guards and Alchemists, he trotted over to Alphonse, leaning back to look up at the suit of armor. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," Alphonse said, his voice echoing softly in the armor's depths.

"I owe you lots," Duo told him.

"No," Alphonse replied, and giggled. "You would have done the same for me."

"Yeah." Duo ducked his head, grinning up at Alphonse through his hair. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "So...I'll be seeing you, right?"

"That would be... _cool_ ," Alphonse said.

"Good," Duo told him, and placed his palm flat on Alphonse's chest. "I know you'll find what you're looking for."

"Thanks. I hope, so too―"

"No," Duo said, and grinned. "I _know_ you will. Just...take care of Edward."

"I always do," Alphonse said, with a little bow.

Duo nodded, and headed for Mustang. The man looked down at him, his expression implacable, and Duo realized he was - for once - at a loss for words. The audience standing around didn't help, either, and Duo decided to do the only thing he could think of. Mimicking Edward as best he could, he bowed his head, leaning forward a bit and holding it for a second before straightening up. It felt strange, but when he looked back up at Mustang, he was surprised to see the man was returning the gesture, though not as deeply. Duo smiled, and moved to stand by Edward. The other boy was staring at the array, his eyes troubled.

"It's not lighting up," Edward whispered.

"It will," Duo assured him. "Hilde will make sure Howard keeps at it until you get me back."

"You're so certain about it," Edward said, and he sounded almost sad.

Duo punched Edward lightly in the shoulder, glad he was on Edward's right side, not his left side. He pretended to wince and shake his hand anyway, and was rewarded with a raised eyebrow and an eye-roll from Edward.

"Five years," Duo said, under his breath. He crossed his arms and stared down at his feet, vaguely aware Tanaka was waving the rest of the room back, leaving him alone with Edward. "You think you'll be around?"

"Will you?" Edward glanced sideways, through his eyelashes, at Duo. Those golden eyes caught Duo for a second, and he gave Edward a rueful smile. Edward frowned, and shook his head. "Don't die."

"I'll do my best." Duo squared his shoulders. "So...I guess...now, you do it again, hunh."

The array began flickering, silver streaks lighting the lines and pooling in the intersections. Duo smiled.

"Guess that's the sign," he said.

"Yeah." Edward stepped back, and pointed to the center. "Go on. Don't step on the lines," he added.

"Whatever," Duo shot back. "Like I'd mess up your precious array."

"You would," Edward told him. "You'd find a way to blow it up."

"Explosions are good," Duo called over his shoulder, as he stepped carefully into the few bare spaces between the lines. He had to keep an eye on his feet, as though walking through a minefield. "Oh!" He turned, and started to shrug off the coat. "You want this back?"

"What do I need it for?" Edward pointed at his own coat. "I've got one. Besides, yours is too short for me to wear."

"In your dreams!" Duo taunted, hopping the last step into the center, and seating himself cross-legged in one graceful move. "All right, do your fancy light stuff."

"Fancy light stuff, he says," Edward muttered, but his lips were curling up at the edges. He knelt by the array, and paused as he held out his hands. When Duo nodded, Edward smiled then, a little shyly, and waved with his right hand, just a hint of movement. Then he took a deep breath, lowered his brows in concentration, and clapped his hands together.

 

 

 

When the wind and light died down, the room was silent. Edward sat back with a gasp, feeling the strain and wear of the past twenty-four hours finally crash down on him. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, and looked up at the array. Duo was gone, but a metal chair sat in its place, and Edward smiled to himself as he climbed to his feet. Apparently Duo's friend had paid attention, and put something in the circle for the exchange. He imagined Duo celebrating his return with his friends, and figured the boy was still talking, and would be for the next six hours. He sighed, and turned to see General Tanaka approaching with a stern expression. Instinctively Edward stiffened, then noticed Mustang was smirking. Edward couldn't hide the scowl.

Bastard's acting like he knew it would all work out perfectly, he thought. I didn't see Mustang on his knees running through that array three times in twenty minutes. Edward jerked himself back to the present when Tanaka began speaking.

"Fullmetal," Tanaka said, his voice gentler and more exhausted. "Get some sleep. Colonel Mustang will let you know when my staff is ready to meet with you - possibly in a day or two."

"Yes, sir," Edward said, and straightened his shoulders. He wasn't going to fall over in front of anyone, though the idea was tempting if it meant sleep sooner rather than later. Behind Tanaka, Mustang nodded. His gaze was distant, though, fixed on the single metal chair in the middle of the array.

"As for the Chimera Project," Tanaka continued, "you know nothing of it. And once you've educated my staff to the best of your ability, this project, too, will cease to exist. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Edward repeated.

"Good. Now do something about Warrant Officer Kurowski," Tanaka said, raising his eyebrows in the direction of the guard still ensnared at the edge of the array. Tanaka watched as Edward clapped his hands together and placed them on the floor. The bonds slipped down, melting back into the floor, and Tanaka nodded to his men. Selwyn and Mathrey lifted the still-unconscious guard, while the female Alchemist assisted the freed guard out of the room. The rest filed out, silently, and did not look at Alphonse, Edward, or Mustang.

"Clean up before you leave," Mustang said softly. Edward frowned and opened his mouth to retort, but Mustang was already striding from the room.

"Rude bastard," Edward muttered, and turned to scuff at the edge of the array with his foot.

"Brother," Alphonse said. "I think...I think that's not what he meant."

"Hunh?" Edward looked up, to see Alphonse hovering over the metal chair. Edward joined him, looking down at the seat of the chair, where Al was pointing. There was a single sheet of paper, with a series of squiggly lines going down the page in a single line. Alphonse picked it up, looking at it closely, then set it aside.

"Brother," Alphonse said, his tone reverent. "Look..."

Carefully he lifted up the small paper that had been hidden under the large one. Raising it up so they could see it in the single lamp still lit by the door, Al tilted it so they could both look. It was a picture of Duo, blurred a little, as though he were turning. Behind him, they could see something mechanical, which looked a bit like the drill press Winly sometimes used. Duo had a screwdriver behind one ear, and a wrench in his hand. There was a smudge of oil across one cheek, and he was smirking at someone off to the side. He looked quite pleased with himself.

"Equivalent trade," Alphonse whispered, and held out the picture to Edward.

"Yeah," Edward said. Carefully he tucked the picture into the back pocket of his jeans, and began helping Alphonse clean up the room.


	12. epilogue

"I think it's a sign that Hilde refused to come into the garage," Trowa commented. He leaned against the workbench, moving to the side with a soft long-suffering sigh as Duo poked at him to get out of the way. Duo leaned past him, twitching at the diagram, then moved off without a response.

"If Une found out you kept the ECM Unit, you'd be in hotter water than you were for that fiasco in New South Wales with the illegal Taurus plant," Quatre said, his brow furrowed. "I thought we agreed to destroy all of that, years ago."

"We did," Duo said, looking up from where he was setting the test radar systems in a circle. "And this might not even work. I mean, I don't know if they even remembered." He noticed Wufei looking bored, and Heero rolling his eyes, but chose to ignore them. He straightened, and threw a grin over his shoulder. "If it doesn't, then...hey, whatever. Not like you have to be here."

Better if you weren't, he added. Whether because I don't want you laughing if nothing happens...or because I don't want you standing around glowering at me if something does happen.

"After everything Hilde said?" Quatre raised his eyebrows, and moved to stand next to Trowa. "You've got to be kidding if I'm not going to be here to make sure nothing blows up."

"You mean to help it blow up," Trowa said in an undertone. At Quatre's shocked look, Trowa shrugged. "You're hardly innocent."

Quatre made a face, and Duo smirked. "He's right, Quat."

"I wasn't the one with the eighteen cases of C-4," Quatre retorted.

"I just brought them in," Duo said. "I didn't hook all of them up!"

"Try not to blow anything up this time, at least," Heero interrupted. "Or wait until I have more vacation time."

"Spoilsport," Duo muttered, but grinned. "Okay, everyone, get outside the range of the radar perimeter." He grabbed the chair sitting in the corner, and set it next to the ECM, then pulled a small black book from his pocket and set it on the chair. Taking a deep breath, he moved to stand by Trowa, out of range. "Starting systems now," he announced.

The hum of the computer and the radar started first, followed by the rumbling of the ECM system as it kicked into life. The red beams of the radar were straight and thin, forming red dots on the ECM's exterior. The chair was illuminated in the light, glowing crimson in the low-lit garage. Duo kept it on for several seconds, watching, even as something in his chest sank, and he fought the urge to laugh as though it were all a joke. Trowa shifted next to him, and Duo sighed, turning his back on the setup and hitting the shutdown button on the ECM. Slowly the rumbling and humming came to a stop, and Duo remained where he was.

"Sorry," Trowa whispered.

Duo nodded.

"Guys," Heero said, sounding a bit puzzled. "Was...was the radar supposed to go silver?"

"Silver?" Duo turned, suspicious. "Very not funny, Yuy. Don't fuck with me like that."

"No, I saw it," Wufei said, nodding. "Like a second radar beam was running alongside the first."

"I thought that was just some kind of corneal feedback," Quatre said, frowning as he stared at the ECM, then the chair, then the laser emitters. "I only saw it out of the corner of my eyes, though."

"You guys had better not be shitting me." Duo scowled.

Trowa shrugged. "Don't look at me. I was watching you shut the system down."

"Well?" Heero looked impatient. "Are you going to turn it back on?"

Duo blinked, then smiled, a little shyly. "Can't think of any harm it'd do. Okay, everyone clear?"

Four voices answered clear, and Duo hit the button on the laptop, starting the system back up. This time, the six lasers shot red. Almost instantly it was as though mercury were streaking down the lasers, running silver for a second. Then the beams of light spread out, becoming powerful beacons of blue, pouring into the ECM. Wufei shouted something as wind picked up in the small garage, and Heero grabbed several tools before they went flying off the workbench.

The light continued, flaring up even brighter into a golden hue. Almost as quickly as it started, the wind and light faded, leaving only the laser systems humming, their systems burnt. One of the laser emitters was smoking slightly, and Duo wrinkled his nose at the smell of a small electrical fire. He nudged the box nearest him, only looking up as Trowa elbowed him.

"Hey, Duo," Trowa whispered.

Duo turned, and saw two figures slowly standing up beside the ECM. One was as tall as Trowa, with dark brown hair that hung in a shaggy cut around his face, with dark brown eyes that blinked at everyone, but lit up when he saw Duo. Beside him, another person was standing up. Duo blinked, and nearly held his breath, seeing the familiar black jeans, black under-jacket, and the flash of a red coat and a braid of golden hair.

 

 

 

Edward scowled and pushed himself off his knees, coming to his feet with a sharp gasp. Fuck. That was like getting stomped on by six chimera...after a day of dealing with Mustang. The ports in his arm and leg ached, as though they'd been disconnected and reconnected an hour or two before but the pain was only filtering in now. It wasn't unbearable like the actual point of reconnection, but it was definitely painful. He stretched, and raised his head to look around.

There were several men standing at the ring of the circle, and Edward stared at each of them in turn, looking for a familiar face. Either Duo or, he hoped, that girl who had been Duo's friend, though he barely recalled now what she looked like. The first man, who was standing with his feet apart and his arms crossed, was Edward's height, and had jet-black hair pulled back in a ponytail. His white shirt and khaki pants were crisp, and reminded Edward of Mustang - not a hair out of place. The man next to him was leaning against a bench, his arms also crossed. His blue eyes were fixed on Edward, measuring and assessing. His dark brown hair looked like it hadn't seen a brush in a lifetime, but he seemed only watchful, not hostile. He was wearing blue jeans, and a white shirt just visible under a black-and-brown jacket with several markings and patches on the shoulders and chest.

"Brother," Alphonse whispered, a question.

"Fine," Edward answered automatically, his voice low. He studied the third man, also his height, and the man's white-blond hair and blue-green eyes. The man smiled and dipped his head in a silent welcome, and Edward only nodded in return, uncertain but unwilling to show it. Edward leaned forward, looking past Alphonse to see a fourth man - as tall as Alphonse - leaning against a bench with a smirk on his face. His chin was down, and coppery-red hair hung in his face. When he looked up at Edward, there was a flash of green eyes that reminded Edward of Maes Hughes, and Edward almost smiled. Then someone stepped in the way.

Duo was as tall as Edward now, but still skinnier, although his shoulders had broadened and his forearms were muscled and tanned. The baby fat of adolescence had disappeared; leaving him with a slender face and finely chiseled jaw line. His deep blue eyes were opened wide in surprise, and when he saw Edward, he smiled, a sincere expression.

"Edward," Duo said, and he grinned again, shyly. Edward noticed the blue-eyed man giving Duo a startled look, and Edward filed that thought away. Duo cocked his head, staring off into the distance. "Words...I try to remember."

"You'll remember fast," Edward replied. He didn't move from where he stood, feeling the eyes of the other four men pinning him in place.

"And..." Duo frowned, looking at Alphonse, his head cocked to the side. Then he stepped forward, and placed his hand on Alphonse's chest, the fingers spread. "I knew you do it," he whispered.

Alphonse lifted his hand, and placed it over Duo's. His only answer was a blush and a nod. Duo grinned, and shoved Al lightly.

"Talk to me," Duo insisted. "Or I won't remember words."

"Who are these people? Your friends?" Edward glanced around the room, noting the four men exchanging looks with each other as he and Duo continued to speak in Edward's language.

"Yes," Duo said, and pointed to each in turn. "Wufei, Heero, Quatre, Trowa. These friends fight with me."

"Gotcha," Edward said, remembering something Duo had said, years before. He nodded politely to each man as they were introduced.

"So..." Duo rocked back on his heels, his braid slapping lightly with the motion. Edward noticed it was much longer than before. "If you are both here, who is on...other side?"

"General Mustang," Alphonse answered. He grinned wryly, and pretended to whisper at Duo, while glancing at his brother. "Mustang found out about the five years...and insisted we try."

Edward scowled, and crossed his arms. "Bastard."

"Bastard," Duo repeated, in a sage tone. "Yeah, I know...So...hungry?"

"Sure," Edward said. He rotated his arm, feeling the joints creak as the ache faded. "Whatcha got?"

"Lots," Duo told him. He moved towards the wall, and bent down, grabbing onto a handle and pulling upwards. With a groan and a shriek of metal, the door rolled upwards, revealing a driveway, and beyond that a street and a row of houses. Duo beckoned, and Edward and Alphonse left their suitcases by the large metal box, and went to join Duo.

Edward realized Duo was pointing up, and he stared at the metal walls visible in the distance, beyond the row of houses. The world seemed to curve upwards, not downwards, as though they were at the top of a long, broad hill. Edward leaned back, seeing the metal walls rising up, up, up, arching over his head an endless distance away. Edward felt light-headed, to see the world encased, to see buildings and streets and odd-looking cars, all wrapped up in some sort of metal box. At the top, over his head, there was a massive window of some sort, but it was mostly black, except for a half-circle of silver-gray along one side.

"What's that?" Alphonse pointed.

Duo looked up, and laughed, a bright sound. He lowered his head, and winked at Edward. "That...is the _moon_."

Edward looked at Duo, disbelieving, then leaned back to look up at the crescent visible through the huge window over their heads. He stared for a long moment, sensing the other four men come to flank them in a circle. He continued to stare, and a smile slowly spread across his face. Dropping his chin, he arched an eyebrow at Duo, who smirked in response.

It took a second of digging through his memory, but Edward's smile grew as the word came back to him. Doing his best to remember it perfectly, he leaned back again and stared up at the moon, visible through the window from this box he was in that floated in space.

Then Edward said the only word he knew in Duo's language, but it was one that he was pretty sure would fit the situation perfectly.

" _Cool_ ," he told Duo, and laughed.


End file.
